Oksana’s heart

The first children’s opera

The first Ukrainian woman composer

“Oksana’s heart” (1960) is an opera that overcame a difficult path to be heard and seen.

Written by the first Ukrainian woman composer Stefania Turkevych in Great Britain, first staged in Canada, the composition has never been performed in Ukraine!

Only 60 years after writing, this composition will be staged in Lviv!

This became possible thanks to Prof. Stefania Pavlyshyn, a prominent Ukrainian musicologist who in 2003, at the invitation of the composer’s daughters, researched manuscripts of Stefania Turkevych’s works in Great Britain and in 2004 published a book about the composer “First Ukrainian Composer Stefania Turkevych-Lisovska-Lukiyanovych”. At the request of S. Pavlyshyn and in collaboration with the family of the composer, the couple Pavlo and Lyarysa Hunkiv digitized the artist’s manuscripts and this made it possible to return S. Turkevich-Lukiyanovych’s works to Ukraine in 2017.

The production involves more than 60 participants, most of whom are children (which is in line with the author’s creative idea): the instrumental ensemble of the Academic Symphony Orchestra of the Lviv National Philharmonic, 8 soloists, children’s and youth chamber choir “JAYVIR” and ballet school-theater L.Stage .

The fairy-tale opera “Heart of Oksana” became one of the winners of this year’s competition “Focus on Culture” from the Lviv City Council.

The staging of the children’s opera by S. Turkevich-Lukiyanovych will be one of the first steps towards discovering the creative heritage of a little-known, undeservedly forgotten artist, whose work was banned in Soviet times.

You can also visit the opera 1 more locations:

25.06 – Bryukhovychi center of culture and creativity (17:00)
26.06 – Dovzhenko Center (16:00)

Artists:

Oksana – Olga Tomkiv-Verkholyak
Roman’s brother – Volodymyr Shchyhil
Vlodko’s brother – Serhiy Kutepov
Mother, Sun – Iryna Melnyk
Tsar Oh – Nazariy Mykhalchuk
Wind – Chrystyna Tsuper
Moon – Matviy Denkovych
Ballet (Beetles and Mushrooms, Wind and Maws, Moon and Stars) – L.Stage Ballet School-Theater (director – Iryna Lampico)
Choir – Children’s and Youth Chamber Choir “JAYVIR” (leader – Natalia Chmyr-Kozyar)

The instrumental septet of the Academic Symphony Orchestra of the Lviv National Philharmonic consisting of:
1st violin – Ivanna Husar
2nd violin – Bogdana Dyachenko
Viola – Veronica Pedorych
Cello – Olga Boychuk
Double bass – Andriy Vovchak
Flute – Eugene Biletsky
Piano – Svetlana Pozdnysheva
Conductor – Sergey Khorovets

Producers:

• Project manager – Irina Vakulina
• Directed by Oleg Oneshchak
• Choreographer – Victoria Tkach
• Costume and scenery designer – Oleksandra Nagirna
• Costume and decoration artist – Natalia Salo
• The editorial office of the opera is Bohdana Frolyak