ACADEMIC SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA
OF THE KHARKIV PHILHARMONIC SOCIETY
(The Kharkiv Philharmonic Orchestra).

Yuriy Yanko
Music Director & Principal Conductor of The Kharkiv Philharmonic Orchestra,
Honoured Worker of Arts of Ukraine,
First Prize winner of The International Vakhtang Jordania Conducting Competition

Philharmonic Orchestra was founded in 1926-1927 by famous cultural worker, professor of the Kharkiv Concervatory Yakov Rozenstein. In October, 1929 the orchestra became the leading collective of All-Ukrainian Broadcasting Committee, and after The Kharkiv Philharmonic Society founding, it got Philharmonic status. First decade of the orchestra being was marked by collaboration with celebrated conductors K.Sanderling and G.Adler (Germany), F.Stiedry (Austria), E.Szenkar (Hungary). Natan Rahlin and David Oystrah started their career at this orchestra.

For the years of the orchestra’s being, brilliant musicians have played with it: Anton Rubinsteyn, Henrih Neigauz, Sviatoslav Richter, Emil Gilels, Aram Khachaturian, Mstislav Rostropovich, Rudolf Kerer, Victor Pikayzen, Vladimir Kraynev, Naum Shtarkman, Paata Burchuladze, Liana Isakadze, Mihail Pletnev, Vladimir Spivakov, Dmitriy Bashkirov, Daniel Kramer, Sergey Stadler, Alexander Kniazev and many others.




Nowadays, the orchestra contains almost 100 high-professional musicians, many of them are prize-winners of International and National competitions. The Leader of the orchestra - Igor Shapovalov – is People’s Artist of Ukraine.

In 2001 Yuriy Yanko - Honoured Worker of Arts of Ukraine, prize-winner of The International Vakhtang Jordania Conducting - was appointed Music Director and Principal Conductor of The Kharkiv Philharmonic Orchestra. Clear gesture, emotionality, artistry, exactingness to the orchestra marks him as one of the best Ukrainian conductors.

The Kharkiv Philharmonic Orchestra regularly takes part in the International Forums of Classical Music – “Kyiv-Music-Fest”, “Kharkiv Assembly”, “Music – Our Common Home”, “Sergey Rakhmaninov and Ukrainian Culture”, “The International Vladimir Kraynev Young Pianists Competition”, “The International Young Pianists Competition” in town of Kitzingen (Germany), “The International Vakhtang Jordania Conducting Competition”. Also, the orchestra tours successfully – being on a tour in Spain in 2003 it was recognized the best foreign orchestra of the year.

In October, 2006 the orchestra received the status of Academic. The orchestra’s audio recordings are kept in the National Radio reserves, its concerts are broadcasted on radio and TV, its reviews are published in regional and national press.