The band presented the jubilee program at the Actor’s House. The simultaneous sound of 12 guitars, each of them performing its own part, is enchanting from the first accords and will not let go till the end of the concert, making you forget about whims of nature and the bitter cold of the house. The percussions added a unique touch to the show.
The creation of the Kyiv Guitar Orchestra was initiated by Oleksandr Mytroshyn, who is now at the head of the band. The guitarists gave their first concert at the Municipal Music School No. 10. In December 2006, the orchestra performed two compositions at a festival named “Na Krylakh Natkhnennia” (On the Wings of Inspiration). Then followed tours and solo recitals in Kyiv and Bila Tserkva, participation in music festivals, including international (with awards and prizes, like at the Renaissance Guitar International Contest that was held in Belarus).
All of the guitarists in this band are professional musicians and members of the Ukrainian Guitarists Association. The repertoire of the orchestra includes music from various epochs and countries: from the Vilnius tablature of the 17th century to the soundtrack to the Pirates of the Caribbean. Besides international hits, the band performs music by modern composers from Ukraine and other former Soviet countries (Andrii Petrov, Ihor Shoshyn, and Mytroshyn himself).
As Mytroshyn told The Day, the anniversary events would not be limited to one concert. On October 15 the band will perform at the concert of the duet Svizhyi Viter (Fresh Breeze) at the Teacher’s House, on October 20 they will perform at the presentation of the magazine Guitar in Ukraine, which will take place at a festival restaurant Divan. The Kharkiv Philharmonic Society has invited the orchestra to perform on October 24. On October 26 they will also participate in a concert at the Taras Shevchenko National Museum.
Now the musicians are preparing a new program for Fliuger (Weathercock), a festival contest for guitar ensembles and orchestras. This forum will be dedicated to the 100th birthday anniversary of Kostiantyn Smaha, the founder of the Ukrainian guitar school and the teacher of Mytroshyn and Liudmyla Kasatova, the orchestra director. The contest will take place in Brovary in spring. Primarily, Fliuger will be a festival for children’s and youth bands. It is already known that bands from Russia and Belarus are going to participate in it.
“We are invited to take part in festivals in other cities and countries,” Mytroshyn says. “There are probably no more orchestras of this kind in Ukraine. The same can be said about Belarus, there might be one or two in Russia, while in Europe they are quite common. I’ve heard a lot of orchestras. Only the Barcelona Orchestra and guitarists from China are better than us. We can easily perform on European stages. But there’s a problem, and that is money. There is nobody to support us. We earn money by giving concerts, and then spend the proceeds on tours and rehearsals. We are looking for benefactors and sponsors who would support us.”
Most of the band members teach at the music schools of Kyiv. A lot of children came to the Actor’s House to listen to their teachers. Mytroshyn is sure that it is also an important pedagogical tool. “To become a good football player, you need to watch a good football player in the game. The same can be said of the children who learn how to play the guitar, you need to listen to professionals play, and strive to rise to this level.”
Mytroshyn writes his own music as well. His Fiery Rumba was performed at the concert. Kasatova, the band’s art director, writes and arranges music too, and also creates covers of popular tunes. The directors regularly release collections of their works. The most recent one came out in the spring.
