Two premieres of Valentyn Bibik’s works will be held in Kyiv

The maestro will dedicate the evening to the famous Ukrainian composer Valentyn Bibik (1940-2003). The Academic Symphony Orchestra of the National Philharmonic Society of Ukraine will perform two world premieres: concerto for piano and chamber orchestra Symbols with soloist Jacob Katsnelson from Moscow and the Symphony for Soprano and Orchestra to the Lyrics of Joseph Brodsky with soloist Yulia Korpacheva from St. Petersburg, and the Ukrainian premiere of Dedication, a piece for string orchestra and organ.

Bibik was a composer of worldwide fame, the creator of 150 musical pieces, many of which his countrymen have yet to discover. Unfortunately, his works are only rarely performed here currently, despite the fact that his legacy has attracted the attention of many musicians and music lovers in Western Europe and the United States. Let us recall that three years ago, Kofman first introduced to music lovers Bibik’s opera Flight’s concert version, so the Kyivites got to listen to its world premiere at last after waiting for almost four decades.

The concert at the Philharmonic Hall holds promise to become a landmark event for listeners who want to understand and appreciate Bibik’s musical messages, written eloquently and wisely, allowing one “to recognize the sound of the times in which we live,” citing the composer’s daughter Viktoria Bibik. Undoubtedly, combination of his music with poetry of Joseph Brodsky will be of interest, too, as an example of the synthesis of the arts. The event will be a landmark one also because it will see maestro Roman Kofman taking the conductor’s stand for the first time after a long break.