The Kyiv Summer Music Evenings program has become a summer staple for arts aficionados
This summer marks only the fourth season of the Kyiv Summer Music Evenings program, but the festival is part of a lengthy tradition of outdoor performances in Kyiv.
The history of outdoor musical performances in Kyiv dates back to the 19th century, when the grounds of the Philharmonic hosted the likes of Rachmaninoff, Skryabin, Prokofiev and of course, Vladimir Horowitz.
The tradition continued during the Soviet era with a system of free public concerts geared toward the promotion of homegrown musical culture. Yet, with the economic decline starting in the 1960s and 1970s, performances became sporadic. Eventually, they simply faded away.
In 1998 the Committee for the International Competition for Young Pianists in Memory of Vladimir Horowitz decided to bring back the tradition with an annual summer music festival.
But instead of modeling it on festivals involving an intense schedule of performances over a short period of time, the committee decided to extend the festival over a two-month period. According to General Director Yury Zilberman, there were obvious benefits of having a regularly scheduled event at a designated location. Doing so avoided the hassle of coordinating multiple venues.
The result was a series of thematically related concerts on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays at the pavilion of the Park of Culture and Rest.
Each three-day installment features representatives of a given genre. Previous concerts have included exhibitions of chamber music, folk and jazz.
With the ornate Mariyinsky Palace and the shaded confines of the park as a backdrop, the committee has chosen a quiet, comfortable setting for the range of music they provide.
Last week’s series in honor of dissident jazz composer Volodymyr Symonenko saw a packed house, with many standing in the aisles to get an earful of jazz standards such as “My Favorite Things” and “Cry Me a River.” The program also demonstrated the committee’s ability to put together a unified concert that also displays a range of styles within the genre. Attendees were privileged with everything from the acapella “Beauty Band” to finger-picking guitar soloist Valery Petrenko. The atmosphere was casual and congenial and aside from the occasional dog barking, remarkably peaceful.
The small amphitheater draws a steady and loyal crowd. According to Zilberman, he always sees familiar faces.
“They come as regularly as they go to work,” he said, smiling. “Already many people abroad are aware of our concerts,” he added.
In a city where even a Hr 10 entry fee excludes a broad spectrum of the population, Zilberman is determined to keep admission free. The costs for the program are minimal. They include the use of public facilities and the cost of promotion and sound equipment. Major sponsors include the American Ukrainian Alliance and Radio Kontinent. The musicians perform without payment, drawn by the pleasant atmosphere and the growing renown of the related Horowitz competition.
It’s not always smooth sailing.
“Well, there’s the money issue, of course,” he said, “But that’s true anywhere.”
Of greater difficulty have been the huge bureaucratic hurdles and quirks of law that greet international events. The committee has had to endure a morass of paperwork and logistical maneuvering handling visas, transportation, currency issues, and laws governing sponsorship.
However, Zilberman is quick to note that both the school and the work of the committee benefit from the cultural programs. According to him, the mayor’s office and the Kyiv City Administration are responsible for an overwhelming majority of their funding. They also benefit from the participation of the school’s teachers and professors.
The year-round committee, whose offices are located in the Gliere Music School, is responsible for the organization of the Horowitz competition, the festival series, and the International Summer Academy, a summer music camp for gifted students. According to Zilberman, each segment of the committee’s work augments the prestige and performance of the others.
Upcoming Schedule:
All performances take place in the amphitheater of the Park of Culture and Rest located behind the Mariyinsky Palace (unless otherwise noted). Admission is free. Performances start at 7 p.m.
July 6: National Academic Symphony Orchestra of Ukraine with Maria Kim, Igor Chetuyev and Vadim Rudenko, laureates of the Horowitz, Rubenstein and Tchaikovsky piano competitions. Special performance to take place in the National Opera.
July 7: Solo performances by the international contest laureates.
July 8: Contest laureates with the National Academic Symphony Orchestra.
July 14: Pascal Galle (France). Fortepiano.
July 15: Philharmonic Orchestra performing Beethoven’s Concerto for Violin, Violoncello and Fortepiano.
July 20-23: International Summer Music Academy performances.
July 27-29: International Summer Music Academy performances.
