The National Ensemble of Soloists
"Kyivska Kamerata"

The National Ensemble of soloists "Kyivska Kamerata" is a leading Ukrainian performer of chamber music of different styles and epochs. The program repertoire of this music company is incredibly diverse in genres and styles - it varies from works of G.F. Teleman, A. Vivaldi, I.S. Bach, I. Heiden, W.A. Mozart, R. Wagner, N. Grig, P. Chaykovsky, I. Stravinsky, A. Shenberg, A. Vabern, J. Cramm, A. Shnitke to the best samples of world avant-garde classics of the second half of the XX century. But the main point of the ensemble creative activity is a performance of Ukrainian contemporary music and representation of works of Ukrainian composers abroad.

George Crumb  I was delighted with the performance and interpretation of my music by this excellent ensemble, the Kyiv Kamerata.

 "Kyivska Kamerata" is a union of highly professional musicians, where each member of the orchestra is a brilliant personality and a performer of a very high level. The majority of them are the prizewinners of international and national contests, hence the company acquired the name - "ensemble of soloists". Owing to highly professional level of performance, the National Ensemble of soloists "Kyivska Kamerata" gained authority within the professional musical circles not only in Ukraine, but also abroad, what assisted in entering the creative contacts with well-known soloists and conductors.

For 33 years the company has been led by its creator and permanent director - well-known Ukrainian pianist and conductor, Honored Art Worker of Ukraine - Valeriy Matyukhin. The famous Ukrainian composers - E.Stankovych, M.Skoryk, I.Karabytz were the directors of "Kyivska Kamerata" at different stages of its existence.

Virko Baley about "Kyivska Kamerata" The "Kyivska Kamerata" is a unique company. It covers a huge territory of styles - varying from ancient music and classics up to innovations of contemporary authors. There are a lot of reputable professional ensembles, but just a few of them can play rather a wide repertoire. "Kamerata" is the very company, this is its peculiarity. I've cooperated with this orchestra since 1996 and have observed its creative progress. The ensemble seems to have a huge potential for an individual development and creative realization.The "Kyivska Kamerata" possesses a high performing level and I can relate it to one of the best and leading companies of Ukraine.

One of the characteristic features of the ensemble is its exceptional performing mobility. The members of the company can perform in various musical casts - varying from a duet of soloists to a small symphonic orchestra. This, to a greater extent, stipulates a large and diverse repertoire of the orchestra.

The National Ensemble of soloists "Kyivska Kamerata" is constantly participating in numerous artistic events: carries on an intense touring activity in Ukraine and abroad - Germany, Austria, France, the USA, Croatia, Lebanon, China; records CDs with works of the most outstanding composers; is actively broadcasted on Ukrainian radio and TV; participates in festival projects and in various governmental actions - presentations, business meetings, advertising projects of all kinds.

The National Ensemble of soloists "Kyivska Kamerata" is a leading Ukrainian performer of chamber music of various styles and epochs. The main point of the ensemble creative activity is a performance of Ukrainian contemporary music and representation of works of Ukrainian composers abroad.

"Kyivska Kamerata" is a permanent participator of international festivals - "Kyiv-Music-Fest", "Season Premier", "Forum of the young", Lviv "Contrasts", Odessa festival of contemporary music "Two days and two nights". Besides, the company makes a lot of tours about Ukraine and abroad - Austria (1990, 1994, 1997), Armenia (2000), Germany (1996, 2000), Holland (1998), Greece (1998), Poland (1996), Russia (1994, 1999, 2001), the USA (1998), France (1991), Croatia (1995), Lebanon (2002), China (2002).

Valentine Silvestrov about "Kyivska Kamerata" The "Kyivska Kamerata" for me is an alive history of music of the last years. These are hundreds of first nights for the works of Ukrainian composers; these are performances of works of composers of Latvia, Lithuania, Armenia, Georgia, Russia; this is a contemporary music of Western Europe and the USA. In the creative fate of "Kamerata" a significant role belonged to such outstanding musicians as Leonid Grabovsky, Ivan Karabytz, Virko Baley, Valeriy Matyukhin. The concert programs of "Kamerata" are always saturated with new information and company artists perform their job honestly and devotedly to the ideals of music. Valentine Silvestrov, 21.12.01, Kyiv

"Kyivska Kamerata" started its activity in the terms of private theatrical enterprise in 1977. Its creator was a famous pianist and conductor, Honored Art Worker of Ukraine - Valeriy Matyukhin. The main aim of "Kamerata" creation was in an aspiration to integrate actively into the process of Ukrainian musical activity, to make it possible for Ukrainian composers to hear in an alive performance the works of their own and the opuses of their colleages.

For 30 years of its existence "Kyivska Kamerata" has passed a hard way in its creative development. For a long time, led by Valeriy Matyukhin, "Kamerata" was a kind of creative chamber music workshop of the Ukrainian Composers Union, and therefore performed a lot of new works of E. Stankovych, V. Sylvestrov, I. Karabytz. O. Kiva, Y. Ishchenko, V. Zubitsky, A. Karamanov, V. Zagortsev and many others. In 1989 the company joined an ensemble of ancient music "Garmonia" ("Harmony"), though the merging was rather conventional, as at that moment both ensembles consisted of the same musicians. Directing of "Kyivska Kamerata" at different stages of its existence was carried out by leading Ukrainian composers - National Artists of Ukraine - E. Stankovych, M. Skoryk, I. Karabytz.

Since 1991 "Kamerata" has become a creative company of the Ukrainian Spiritual Republic; on August 1993 the company acquired a State status; on August 27, 2002 the soloists ensemble "Kyivska Kamerata", by Decree of the President of Ukraine Leonid Kuchma, was conferred with a status of National for a great contribution into the development of Ukrainian culture.

"Kyivska Kamerata" is a union of highly professional musicians, where each member of the orchestra is a brilliant personality and a performer of a very high level. The majority of them are the prizewinners of international and national contests, hence the company acquired the name - "ensemble of soloists".

The soloist-singers of "Kyivska Kamerata" - National Artist of Ukraine Nina Matvienko, Honored Art Workers of Ukraine Olexander Vasylenko and Lyudmyla Voynarovska - impart an artistic peculiarity to the creative aspect of the company.

Among the performers we would single out: a laureate of L.Revutsky Prize Bogdan Galasyuk (oboe), prizewinner of international contests Bogdana Stelmashenko (flute), Honored Art Worker of Ukraine Oles' Yas'ko (violin), Oleg Seredinsky (violin), Victor Zimin (viola), Lolita Khomlichenko (cello), Dmitry Taranetz (piano). Besides, "Kyivska Kamerata" cooperates with the leading singers of Ukraine - National Artists Valeriy Buymister, Valentyna Stepova, Honored Art Workers - Taras Shtonda, Iryna Semenenko, Valentyna Ivanenko and others.

Oleg Kiva about "Kyivska Kamerata" "Kyivska Kamerata" is a highly professional and a unique company. I think that owing to its performing level this orchestra must occupy the first place among other chamber orchestras in Ukraine. Its peculiarity lies in popularization of music of contemporary Ukrainian authors. Such well-known all over the world composers as Stankovych, Silvestrov, Skoryk began their creative activity with this company, and I can state with a great deal of confidence that "Kyivska Kamerata", performing a lot of works of these composers, helped them to stand on their own feet and occupy a worthy place in contemporary Ukrainian music world. Besides, "Kamerata" constantly appeals to music of different epochs, styles and this, of course, belongs to one of its positive and specific features. This company is always radiating a benevolent atmosphere, which is a very significant factor while regulating a dialogue: composer-performer. Besides, it is very important for a composer to be heard, to know that your work will be realized and to see a response for your work in press and a concert hall. For many of us "Kamerata" is a permanent performer of most of our works. Contemporary composers appreciate this company very much, as without it they would be limited, to a greater extent, in a performing practice of their works. I would like to admit again that the program core of this company is Ukrainian contemporary music. In the terms of present day situation in Ukrainian culture the "Kyivska Kamerata" belongs to leading and most essential performers of Ukrainian contemporary music.

Owing to its high performing level, the ensemble won authority within the professional musical circles not only in Ukraine, but also far from its boarders, what, in its turn, encouraged regulating of creative contacts with outstanding conductors, such as - V. Kozhukhar, R. Nigamatullin, I. Blazhkov, V. Sirenko (Ukraine),
Ph. Glushchenko (Russia), S. Sakakibara (Japan), R. Adler, P. Polivnyk, V. Baley (the USA), S. Kamartin (Switzerland) and others.

One of the characteristic features of the ensemble is its exceptional performing mobility. The members of the company can perform in various musical casts - varying from a duet of soloists to a small symphonic orchestra. This, to a greater extent, stipulates a large and diverse repertoire of the orchestra. Chamber music of almost all styles and epochs is represented in concert programs of the ensemble - varying from G.F. Teleman, A. Vivaldi, I.S. Bach, W.A. Mozart, R. Wagner, N. Grig, M. Ravel to the best samples of world avant-garde classics of the XX century, represented in works of A Shnitke, J. Cramm, A. Vabern, E. Varez, R. Shchedrin, E. Denisov, S. Gabaydulina and others.

The other sphere of the company creative activity lies in revival of works of those composers who were unfaithfully forgotten - Vinchenzo Manfredini, Luidji Cerubini, Dmitry Bortnyansky.

E. Stankovych about "Kyivska Kamerata" The “Kyivska Kamerata” is one of the best companies in Ukraine, possessing its specific aura and having old traditions. “Kamerata” is the only music group in Ukraine, which virtually deals with the popularization of Ukrainian contemporary music. It started its activity as a propagandist of Ukrainian contemporary repertoire and maintains its reputation till today. “Kamerata” provoked emergence of a great number of various chamber works.  To order of Valeriy Matyukhin – founder of this orchestra – more than a dozen of the best Ukrainian works of different styles and genres was written, which have already become classics of contemporary Ukrainian art. A composer, who knows that his music will never be played by anybody, won’t write it. I can confess sincerely that the majority of music companies work not for art, but for themselves. “Kamerata” is devoted to the best ideals of art and this stipulates its unique nature. It is very important to admit that “Kamerata” employed the best musicians, who can play a musical piece of any level of complexity either classic, or contemporary avant-garde. To my mind, the performing level of this company deserves the highest estimation.

But still the main attention in creative practice of the ensemble is circled around the performing of Ukrainian music. Nowadays there is no other artistic company of the kind in Ukraine, which would have in its repertoire so many variable, in genre and style, works of Ukrainian composers. "Kamerata" was the first to perform more than 700 works of contemporary Ukrainian composers - B. Lyatoshinsky, M. Skoryk, V. Silvestrov, E. Stankovych, V. Zagortzev, I. Karabitz, Y. Ishchenko, Y. Vereshchagin, V. Runchak and many others.

For a great contribution into the development of national music culture, for an intensive activity on popularization of the creativity of Ukrainian composers, "Kyivska Kamerata" was awarded with M.V. Lysenko Prize in 1997.

Lunina Annа,
PhD of art criticism