Return of Violino

The National Philharmonic Society on February 1 housed the performance of Violino, a youth violin orchestra celebrating its 25th jubilee this year. In 1994, the Germans called the young violinists the diamonds of Ukraine. In the United States, the Ukrainian national flag was raised to honor Ukrainian musicians above the Capitol during a forty day tour by Violino. Naturally, the ensemble is renowned in Ukraine, giving dazzling performances in Kyiv, Lviv, and at numerous national celebrations.

Then the orchestra’s luck seemed to run out. Due to the short funding, the orchestra was on the verge of breaking up, with not only its soloists and young talent, but also administrators leaving. Its present producer Svitlana Lib recounted how she went to various organizations and businesses begging for financial assistance. Close to despair, she finally knocked on the door of the Regions of Ukraine Concern President and Premierbank Governor Oleh Bezpaly to find support there. His support was inspiring and made it possible for the orchestra to begin a new life. Currently, Violino includes over a hundred young musicians in its Dnipropetrovsk branch alone, with many coming from small towns.

Apart from its basic personnel, Violino also has child violin ensembles in Dnipropetrovsk, Pavlohrad, and a children’s choir. Yet the young hopefuls can get only a secondary musical education in Dnipropetrovsk. Consequently, many of them continue their studies in the Kharkiv Institute of Arts. But Violino keeps track of its young talent in Kharkiv where it has a branch or, more precisely, its senior part which is headed by Prof. Oleksiy Kholodenko and which includes many winners of international contests.

Let us return to the concert, attended by Maryna Kinakh, wife of the prime minister, at which State Secretary for the government Volodymyr Katsiuba read a welcoming statement from the prime minister. Spoiled by the easy access to musical talent the capital city gives them, fastidious Kyiv spectators first treated the up-and- coming young performers from the provinces with skepticism. But the applause became louder and louder with every piece performed, and the final piece, “Oh, Ukraine” by Taras Petrynenko arranged by Volodymyr Skurativsky, was met with calls for an encore.