NRCU Symphony Orchestra
The National Radio Company of Ukraine Symphony Orchestra (shortened: NRCU Symphony Orchestra; Ukrainian spelling: Симфонічний Оркестр НРКУ) is the broadcasting orchestra of the National Radio Company of Ukraine since 1929.
The newly created orchestra of Ukrainian Radio-Center at that time, first performed in public October 5, 1929, which was followed by critical acclaim and to date is considered an important moment of Ukrainian cultural history. The best musicians of Ukraine's former capital city Kharkiv were invited to join the orchestra conducted by Yakiv Rozenshteyn. The orchestra of 45 musicians was part of the radio theatre. Its first symphonic cycle featuring works by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky started soon after opening October 14 with his 5th symphony and 3rd orchestral suite.
Due to political shiftments and intern transitions the orchestra eventually moved to Ukraine's new capital Kiev and increased its number to 60 musicians. Soon becoming the only government supported symphony orchestra exclusively devoted to symphony music the orchestra continued in broadcasting, public concerts and recording for Ukraine and worldwide music labels. Especially its video-recordings proved to be highly commercially successful as the concerts being regarded national cultural highlights and added to the funds of Ukrainian Radio.
The orchestras achievements in preserving the musical tradition of Ukraine in particular and Eastern Europe in general, producing over 10.000 recordings of orchestral works have been met by getting awarded the title of Honored Collective and granted academic status for special merits in the development of musical art in Ukraine.[1]
Throughout the years the orchestra collaborated with world famous conductors like Mykola Kolessa, Natan Rakhlin, Theodore Kuchar, Aram Gharabekian and many others – as well as toured all across Europe and Asia including Germany, Italy, France, Spain, Poland, South Korea, Iran and Algeria.[2][3]
Former conductors
- Yakiv Rozenshteyn
- Herman Adler
- Mykhailo Kanershteyn
- Petro Polyakov
- Kostyantyn Simeonov
- Vadym Gnedash
- Volodymyr Sirenko
- Viatcheslav Blinov
- since 2005: Volodymyr Sheiko
External links
- Homepage of NRCU Symphony Orchestra on the Website of Radio Ukraine
- Orchestra line-up
