Today, on 13 July, the Lviv National Philharmonic celebrates the life and work of its patron.

Among the artists who have become classics of Ukrainian music, a special place is occupied by Myroslav Skoryk (1938-2020), a composer, musicologist, and teacher, whose extraordinary range of works – from vocal miniatures to symphonic poems – are of shaping importance for the national culture. The combination of classically slender, laconic forms with warmth and sincerity of expression, the appeal to folklore sources and topical subjects are due to the polarity of interests characteristic of the composer, which, however, is always aimed at the realisation of a powerful author’s idea.

As early as the work on the music for the film Shadows of Forgotten Ancestors, Skoryk began a series of outstanding works in the composer’s interpretation of complexes that would later be referred to as the “new folklore wave”. These include the First Violin Concerto, Recitatives and Rondos for violin, cello and piano, and numerous piano works. The composer’s oeuvre includes operas, ballets, symphonic works, sacred music, chamber instrumental compositions, songs, art songs, and music of popular genres.

The composer’s interest in ancient and classical genres was manifested through deciphering and transcribing lute tabulatures, editing and reconstructing partita concertos. Later, in his original works, the composer stylised early court dances in the music for Lesia Ukrainka’s drama “Stone Master” as well as in his interpretation of the partita genre. The period of the “sixties” was a turning point in the entire Ukrainian history and culture, and specifically in the musical art and creativity of M. Skoryk, when numerous talents in literally all areas of art and science were suddenly and simultaneously revealed.

The composer’s public activity was aimed at promoting national interests. Many creative projects, including the concert tour dedicated to his 80th birthday, Myroslav Skoryk in Jazz, where he conducted a whole programme of his jazz works, reflect the artist’s pluralistic attitude to high and low genres, inherent in his compositional work, democratic outlook, and flexible consideration of his compositional, performing, and musical and social goals, interests, and needs. This is also evidenced by the range of performing activities of the artist, who began his career as an artistic director with the Veseli Skrypky All-Ukrainian All-Star Ensemble, and in his mature period of creativity, as the artistic director, actively collaborated with the Academy Chamber Orchestra.