A key event of the Ukrainian Institute within the framework of the Bilateral Year of Culture of Ukraine-Austria was the concert of the Vienna Radio Symphony Orchestra "Schubert, Lyatoshynsky, Kühr", held on May 29 2019 in Vienna and featuring Ukrainian violinist Andriy Pavlov. The concert was organised by the Ukrainian Institute together with the world-renowned Vienna Radio Orchestra.
The concert programme featured works by prominent Ukrainian and Austrian composers representing three different eras of musical culture: the original, uncensored version of Symphony No. 3 by Boris Lyatoshynsky, the founder of Ukrainian contemporary music , the Seventh "Unfinished" Symphony by Franz Schubert, the first Romantic era composer, and "Movimenti" for violin and orchestra by contemporary Austrian composer Gerd Kühr. The concert was conducted by British conductor Duncan Ward, and featured Andrii Pavlov, a well-known Ukrainian musician (violin) as a soloist.
Through the efforts of the Ukrainian Institute, the international music environment and a wide audience of European academic music connoisseurs were introduced to the works of Boris Lyatoshynsky. For instance, during the concert, a full uncensored version of his Symphony No. 3 was performed in Vienna for the first time. The symphony of a prominent Ukrainian composer deeply impressed not only the audience but also the musicians themselves: they repeatedly shared their thoughts and impressions with the Ukrainian Institute team.
The public performance of the Lyatoshynsky symphony by one of Austria's most renowned orchestras and featuring the participation of a leading Ukrainian musician as a soloist in the concert programme, mark an important milestone for the Ukrainian composing and performing schools, whose activities and achievements were repressed in the 19th and 20th centuries. This is a powerful step in the inclusion of Ukrainian music in the global cultural context.
The "Schubert, Lyatoshynsky, Kühr" concert was broadcast by ORF, the Austrian national broadcaster, and also aired on Public Radio Culture. This resulted in a significant increase in the audience share for the project and a favourable outcome in the global promotion of Ukrainian culture.
