Lviv National Philharmonic Orchestra
- Year of foundation – 1998
- City – Lviv (Ukraine)
- Genre – classical, jazz, opera, popular music
History of creation
“INSO-Lviv” (Lviv International Symphony Orchestra) is a symphony orchestra of the Lviv National Philharmonic. The group is a true cultural symbol of modern Ukraine, which has been worthily representing our country on the world stage for over two decades. Founded in 1998 as part of the cultural program of the International Charitable Foundation “Music of the Millennium”, the orchestra from the first days had a clear goal – to give young musicians the opportunity to realize themselves in great art and to promote the development of orchestral culture in Lviv and throughout Ukraine.
Today, the group of musicians "INSO-Lviv", which operates under the Lviv National Philharmonic, enjoys worldwide popularity and recognition among fans of symphonic performance. The group's activities are the embodiment of high skill, freedom in creativity and bold musical searches.
Creative path and repertoire
The INSO-Lviv Symphony Orchestra is a regular participant in leading festivals and concert programs, actively contributing to the popularization of classical art. The virtuosos' performances go far beyond the city of Lviv. The orchestra regularly goes on tour abroad, introducing the world audience to Ukrainian musical culture.
"INSO-Lviv" is distinguished by its exceptional flexibility in choosing its repertoire. The musicians equally skillfully perform classics, jazz, operas, musicals and even modern popular music. The musical treasury of the ensemble covers a wide time spectrum. The concerts feature works by Johann Sebastian Bach, Ludwig van Beethoven and other classics, as well as premieres by contemporary Ukrainian composers, whose work is shaping a new wave of national symphony.
International cooperation
«INSO-Lviv» has repeatedly proven that music can be the language of unity. In 2014, the ensemble initiated the all-Ukrainian action «Common Air», when orchestras from six Ukrainian cities simultaneously performed Beethoven's «Ode to Joy» at the country's airports as a sign of support for unity and Ukraine's European choice.
In 2015, the ensemble organized a large-scale marathon «BACH Marathon – Ready. Steady BACH!», which brought together over 600 musicians from different countries of the world. The event set a Ukrainian record in the “Mass Events” category for the longest live performance of J. S. Bach’s music. In the same year, INSO-Lviv implemented the “Classics for Peace” project with the participation of world-famous composer and conductor Sir Dirk Brossé, the musical director of the “Star Wars” world concert tour.
In 2017, the orchestra began cooperation with the British label Toccata Classics, recording the complete cycle “24 Caprices. Skoryk – Paganini” and premiere works by Hungarian composer Pál Hermann. The album Paganini by Arrangements was released in the fall of 2018. A month later, the release was presented on the British radio BBC Radio 3 in the Record Review program.
The orchestra performs on the most prestigious European stages, including the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam, the Paris Philharmonic, and the Baden-Baden Festival Hall.
Collaboration with famous soloists and conductors
The orchestra has performed with such world-famous soloists as Joshua Bell, Dalia Stasevska, François Leliot, Wolfgang Emanuel Schmidt, Otto Sauter, Valery Sokolov, Simon Trpczeski, Claude Delange, Alan Bern, Leopold Kozlovsky, Andriy Bielow and many others. Among the conductors with whom the orchestra has had the honor of working are Oksana Lyniv, Sir Dirk Brosse, Krzysztof Penderecki, Raymond Janssen, Christian Schumann, Yaroslav Shemet, Reinhard Seehafer, Nicolas Paske, Paul Mann and others.
The group also actively collaborates with the Austrian maestro Georg Kugi. The artists regularly present concert series, including:
- “Symphonic Pearls of Vienna”;
- “Music of the Danube Region”;
- “INSO-Lviv Orchestra Academy”.
Today, INSO-Lviv remains one of the most powerful orchestras in the country, combining youth, professionalism and a sincere love for music, turning each of its concerts into a world-class event.