Academic Symphonic Orchestra musicians from the National Philharmonic of Ukraine opened the program in the Lysenko Column Hall. It started with William Tell Overture by Rossini, the Concierto de Aranjuez for classical guitar and orchestra and the Concierto Andaluz for four guitars and orchestra by Rodrigo and Hungarian Rhaspody No.1 by Liszt. It was performed by Mykola Diadiura, conductor, Andrii Ostapenko (guitar solo) and Kyiv guitar quartet (led by Volodymyr works of Sharuiev).
It should be mentioned that music lovers got bored due to the dead season, and the Summer Musical Rays program would become a holiday for the classical music lovers, as it includes various concerts and will last until August, 29. The festival takes place for the second year in a row and it has already attracted the fans and the guests of the capital. Rays-2011 will bring together such famous ensembles as Kyiv Chamber Orchestra, National Academic Brass Band of Ukraine and Kyiv Soloists, the National Chamber ensemble.
There will also be a surprise for the public due to the performance by Jan Sweelinck Amsterdam University Orchestra, Academic Symphonic Orchestra of the National Philharmonic of Ukraine in various ensembles (trios, quartets and quintets) and also soloists Yuri Samojlov (baritone), Daria Dadykina (piano), Vitalii Kostenko (tenor), Yuri Karnaukh (button accordion)…
The program, for its major part, consists of the popular classic: Mahler, Brahms, Rodrigues, Kern, Miller, Tchaikovsky, Shostakovich, Rachmaninoff, Prokofiev, Grieg, Puccini, Schubert and also the works of famous Ukrainian composers Sylvestrov, Bibik and others. The festival organizers worked out the soiree programs the way it would attract various music lovers. On August, 23 (Louis Armstrong’s 110th anniversary and Frank Sinatra’s 90th anniversary) the National Academic Brass Band of Ukraine (conductor Oleksii Bazhenov) and Vitalii Kostenko, tenor, will perform Guillaume, Mancini, Weiss, Gershvin, Herman and the jazz standards. Kyiv Soloists (conductor Serhii Protopopov) are to close the festival together with guitarist Andrii Ostapenko, button accordionist Yuri Karnaukh, violinists Olha Sheleshkova, Mykhailo Bilych, Serhii Toporenko and Oleksandra Savchenko will play the works of Great Astor Piazzolla, “new tango king,” prominent Argentine composer (you will hear the Concert for the guitar and bandoneon with the Chamber orchestra and the “Four Seasons in Buenos Aires” cycle of concerts for violin and string orchestra).
