During the inaugural concert of the 13th Leo Festival, the musicians of the NFM Leopoldinum Orchestra conducted by Ernst Kovacic will perform works by composers of Ukrainian origin, presenting the richness of Eastern European musical literature.

The evening will begin with the sounds of Myroslav Skoryk’s Diptych – he was a famous composer, instrumentalist and musicologist. This work, originally written for a string quartet, will be performed this time in a version for chamber orchestra. Another piece by Skoryk, the Melody, which has recently been used quite often by artists from all over the world, will close the concert programme. The Diptych will be preceded by the works of Stanislav Ludkevych and Yakiv Stepovy. The latter’s Prelude in Memory of Taras Shevchenko op. 13 in an arrangement by Roman Stelmashchuk – will pay tribute to the Ukrainian national poet. Staying in the circle of Eastern composers, we will also turn to the works of Yevhen Stankovyvh – Skoryk's student. The pieces composed by him are characterized by an extraordinary sense of drama and well-thought-out orchestration. His Chamber Symphony No. 3 for flute and string orchestra delights with the richness of sound – the UNESCO International Composers Tribune included it among the ten most outstanding works written in 1985. We will also hear Chorale for string orchestra by Hanna Havrylets, a recognized composer, also a student of Myroslav Skoryk.

Gottfried von Einemwas an artist known mainly for his operas, although he also perfectly used his individual compositional style in purely instrumental music. Even his early compositions of this type show inspiration with elements of jazz and a virtuoso approach to the score. They are often compared with the energetic neoclassical style of Igor Stravinsky. The Serenade for double string orchestra, created in 1949, is a small composition with an exceptionally warm and light sound and full of vitality, fuelled by fanciful rhythmic patterns.