Kyiv Virtuosi Orchestra Returns to Dubai with Powerful Message of Resilience and Musical Mastery

Gulf Network

As the Kyiv Virtuosi Orchestra returns to Dubai this Friday 1st November with a performance at Dubai Opera, the city will once again be welcoming one of Ukraine’s most celebrated ensembles. Led by Grammy-nominated cellist Dmitry Yablonsky as Chief Conductor and Artistic Director, the group brings with it a deep sense of artistry and resilience. This in-demand ensemble carries the weight of representing their homeland in every note they play—made even more resonant in light of the country’s current situation.

Kyiv Virtuosi’s journey to becoming a global ambassador for Ukrainian culture was born decades ago, with roots that lie in the famous Ukrainian chamber ensemble, Kyiv Soloists, founded in 1995 by the distinguished violinist Bohodar Kotorovych.

The current ensemble emerged in 2016 when Chief Conductor Yablonsky and the musicians envisioned a renovated orchestra built on a shared commitment to artistic excellence.

Each member is hand-picked, embodying a blend of Ukraine’s best chamber musicians and soloists who have performed on some of the world’s most prestigious stages — from Paris to Japan, from London to San Francisco, and most recently, the iconic Carnegie Hall in New York. Yablonsky knows the city well, having grown up in Manhattan during the 1970s, but appreciates that visiting New York is "exhilarating” for the musicians. For him, however, it’s like returning home, “except everything has become so expensive!” he laughs.

The orchestra’s journey has not been without challenges. The ongoing conflict in Ukraine has forced them to operate under extraordinary circumstances. After a four-month hiatus when the war began, the orchestra’s musicians and their families resettled in the southern Italian city of Chieti, which was only made possible thanks to the help of various individuals, including contemporary composer Alexey Shor, as Yablonksy observes.

“When the war started I was very very honoured to have a friend of mine – Alexey Shor, who’s a composer – he was generous enough, Alexey Shor was the one who helped us to move to Chieti, Italy, the entire orchestra and their families – about 35 people”, he said.

“They’ve been there since May 2022 when the war started, it took us a long time to get official permission to leave, for the men, because if they don’t leave officially they could face criminal charges when they come back. Since then we’ve had many many fantastic projects, we went to South America, all over Italy, to France, recently we went to the States in March, and now it’s Dubai!”

Also born in Ukraine, in the city of Belaya Tserkov near the capital of Kyiv, Alexey Shor eventually established himself in the United States, before embarking on a journey as a composer.

Since then, Alexey Shor’s music has been performed by some of the most acclaimed music stars of the classical world, in storied venues around the globe. Among other roles, Alexey Shor now holds the position of Composer-in-Residence with the Kyiv Virtuosi, and has enjoyed a long and rich history of friendship and collaboration with the ensemble.

 Dmitry Yablonsky, ph: Alexei Molchanovsky

Yablonsky describes the challenges of navigating life as displaced artists, noting that “of course, displacement is a shock – but the orchestra came to Italy with a salary, a residency card and health insurance. Some people can handle it and some people can’t handle it at all, so that’s the problem of course.

It depends on the person. Thank God, Chieti is a fantastic town and there was Giuliano Mazzoccante, he is the Artistic Director of the Teatro Marrucino in Chieti, and is absolutely wonderful. He’s been in Dubai many times also. He’s helped with a lot of the logistics and stuff like that, and of course with the concerts”.

In fact, Mazzoccante was last in Dubai just a few short weeks ago, on the 29th of September, for a concert held as part of the VIP Classical – Cultural Music Circle initiative. For the Kyiv Virtuosi too, Dubai holds a special place in their history, with the orchestra having performed here multiple times in the past.

On this occasion they return with an ambitious programme – Antonio Vivaldi’s Violin Concerto in A Major, followed by Max Richter’s recomposition of The Four Seasons. The choice to reinterpret Vivaldi’s timeless work is not accidental. As Yablonsky explains, this programme underscores the technical prowess of the musicians while honouring the Italian Baroque composer’s incredible legacy.

Richter’s version not only includes a harp, adding an instrument absent from Vivaldi's original, but also divides the first violins into multiple parts, creating a layered, richer texture. These changes bring a fresh, immersive experience to The Four Seasons, blending Baroque elements with contemporary minimalist influences.

“It’s difficult”, the conductor remarks, “but musicians are ambitious, and we want to show off! It’s challenging music, with the harpsichord and the first violin being divided into 4 or 5 different parts, but it will set up the ambience of musical magic.”

Adding to the magic, the ensemble will feature the talented Ukrainian violinist Anastasiya Petryshak, whose virtuosic style promises to leave a lasting impression. This too is no coincidence, as Yuri Pogoretskyi, the Director of the orchestra, confirmed.

“In all the concerts of the Kyiv Virtuosi orchestra, we try to do something useful for Ukraine”, he said. “We would like to represent our culture as worthy as possible. We are also very grateful to all the people who support us and support Ukraine in these incredibly difficult times. We hope that music and culture in general can help and bring a fair peace closer in our country. We have a tradition, even if we don't play an entire Ukrainian music concert, we try to perform at least one composition by a Ukrainian composer!”

The concert at Dubai Opera marks a moment of connection with audiences in the UAE for the ensemble, as well as its Artistic Director, who noted that he himself has also been in Dubai on quite a few occasions in recent years. This includes a number of appearances alongside the Jerusalem Symphony Orchestra at the 2021 and 2022 editions of the renowned InClassica International Music Festival, as well as accompanying a number of competitions. “It’s very exciting”, he said, speaking of the city, “I think it’s nice. It’s a crazy trip because right after the concert I have to go to the airport to go to China, but a day and a half will be nice.”

Beyond this performance, however, the Kyiv Virtuosi remain focused on their mission to inspire and uplift, and the musicians’ commitment to maintaining relevance through innovative programmes remains strong. “We are a freelance orchestra”, Yablonsky noted. We’ve been very active the last year”, he said, before going on to remark that in art it is important for one to strike a balance, and also to step back a little and take a break at times, if possible.

As Kyiv Virtuosi prepares to take the stage, this Dubai performance stands as a testament to the endurance of art amid adversity. Both Yablonsky and Pogoretskyi bring an infectious enthusiasm to their craft, proving that music has the power to transcend language, borders, and strife. When they perform, they share not just the notes on the page but the heart and resilience of their people—a message that echoes far beyond the concert hall.

Max Richter: The Four Seasons Recomposed

This innovative recomposition of Vivaldi's timeless classic, The Four Seasons, by Max Richter will be performed by the Kyiv Virtuosi Orchestra on November 1st, 2024, at Dubai Opera, alongside a rendition of the seminal composer’s Violin Concerto in A major.
Tickets start at AED 330 and are available from the Dubai Opera website.