Kyiv Symphony Orchestra

Founded in 1979, the Kyiv Symphony Orchestra has become one of the most interesting cultural actors in its country in recent years. From the orchestra's union with the Italian conductor Luigi Gaggero was born a rare fusion of sensual Ukrainian musicality and Western analytical attitude. Each concert is constructed as an exciting journey through works from different periods and styles, threaded together by common themes and influences.
KSO performs in some of the most important European concert halls, such as Berliner Philharmonie, Elbphilharmonie, Gewandhaus Leipzig, Cité de la musique in Paris and Warsaw Philharmonic, as well as in front of NATO leaders at the Madrid Summit on 29 June 2022. The Kyiv Symphony Orchestra’s repertoire spans from the 16th century to the younger generation of today's composers. Precisely for the quality of their interpretations of contemporary music, KSO and Luigi Gaggero have been awarded the prestigious Musical Contest Prize of the Foundation Prince Pierre of Monaco in 2022.
In the field of opera, KSO performed Wagner’s Tristan and Isolde for the first time in the history of independent Ukraine on the stage of the National Opera in Kyiv, as well as at the German Musikfestspiele Königswinkel in 2021 with a cast of international stars under the musical direction of Lothar Zagrosek. Under its chief conductor, the orchestra premiered the opera Night by Ukrainian composer Maksym Kolomiiets and also released it on video. Committed in educational matters, the Kyiv Symphony Orchestra regularly organizes concerts for children, open dress rehearsals and interactive events. Since 2023, KSO has been under the official patronage of the Berliner Philharmoniker.