The Lehman Center for the Performing Arts will present the Lviv National Philharmonic Orchestra of Ukraine, performing classic compositions of Brahms and Sibelius on Feb. 19, led by principal conductor, Theodore Kuchar, and featuring violin soloist, Vladyslava Luchenko. The special program will include Brahms: Tragic Overture, Op. 81, Brahms: Violin Concerto in D major, Op. 77, and Sibelius: Symphony No. 2 in D major, Op. 43.

 

The Lviv National Philharmonic Orchestra of Ukraine, based in the medieval city of Lviv, was officially established on Sept. 27, 1902. On this day, the first concert of the newly formed orchestra took place in the Philharmonic Theater of Count Stanislav Skarbko. In 1933, the orchestra became incorporated as the National Philharmonic Orchestra of Ukraine.

 

Since the 1950s, many of the world’s greatest musicians have performed with the orchestra, including Sviatoslav Richter, Heinrich and Stanislav Neuhaus, Emil Gilels, Maria Yudina, David and Igor Oistrakh, Mstislav Rostropovich, and Gidon Kremer. Important pages in the history of the orchestra have included collaborations with famous conductors, including Kirill Kondrashin, Fuat Mansurov, Nathan Rakhlin, Gennady Rozhdestvensky, and Reinhold Gliere.

 

The orchestra is currently led by principal conductor, Theodore Kuchar, the most recorded conductor of his generation. He has collaborated with major artists such as James Galway, Jessye Norman, Lynn Harrell, Itzhak Perlman, and Yo-Yo Ma and served as the artistic director and principal conductor of two of Europe’s leading orchestras, the National Symphony Orchestra of Ukraine and the Janacek Philharmonic Orchestra (formerly the Czech Radio Orchestra).

 

Kuchar has been honored with numerous accolades for his work, including the BBC Record of the Year, Chamber Music America Record of the Year, Gramophone Magazine’s Editor’s Choice, the WQXR Record of the Year, and a GRAMMY® nomination for Best Instrumental Album.

 

Meanwhile, violin soloist, Vladyslava Luchenko, has won several prestigious prizes, including the top prize in the Tibor Varga International Violin Competition, the Rahn Music Prize, and the David Oistrakh Violin Competition, while receiving special recognition at the Queen Elizabeth of Brussels Competition. She has also performed as a soloist with the Luzerne Symphony Orchestra in the Zurich Tonhalle, the Verbier Festival, and the National Symphony Orchestra of Ukraine as well as numerous additional solo and chamber music engagements.

 

The Lehman Center for the Performing Arts is supported, in part, by public funds through the SVOG Grant. In addition, Lehman Center received funding from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the New York City Council and the Bronx Delegation.

 

The Center wishes to extend special thanks to U.S. Sen. Charles Schumer and Rep. Nydia Velázquez of Brooklyn for their support of arts and culture by implementing the SVOG grant. The center also thanks former Assemblyman José Rivera (A.D. 78) for what was described as his generous grant from The New York State Parks, Recreation, and Historic Preservation Department.

 

Additional funding for the Center is provided by the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of the Office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature. The 2022-2023 season is also made possible through the sponsorships of Goya Foods, Con Edison, Havana Café, and Friends of Lehman Center.

 

The Center is located on the campus of Lehman College/CUNY at 250 Bedford Park Boulevard West, Bronx, NY 10468. Tickets for Lviv National Philharmonic Orchestra of Ukraine performance on Sunday, Feb. 19, at 4 p.m can be purchased at $75, $55, $45, $35, and $25 by calling the Lehman Center box office at 718-960-8833, Monday through Friday, from 10 a.m. to  5 p.m., and beginning at 4 p.m. on the day of the concert, or through online access at https://www.lehmancenter.org/events/ukranian-philharmonic. Lehman Center is accessible by the 4 or D subway to Bedford Park Boulevard, or by car off the Saw Mill River Parkway and the Major Deegan Expressway.