I am incredibly proud that my name is forever inscribed in the history of reviving Ukraine’s cultural heritage. As a patron of this unique project, my name is now immortalized on the pages of every copy of the sheet music for the premiere edition of the first opera by one of Ukraine’s great classical composers:
Dmytro Bortniansky
Ukrainian Baroque composer, singer, and conductor
I am incredibly proud that my name is forever inscribed in the history of reviving Ukraine’s cultural heritage. As a patron of this unique project, my name is now immortalized on the pages of every copy of the sheet music for the premiere edition of the first opera by one of Ukraine’s great classical composers:
Dmytro Bortniansky
Ukrainian Baroque composer, singer, and conductor
Dmytro Bortniansky was born in 1751 in the Ukrainian city of Hlukhiv. He was destined to become a prominent figure in European classical music. His mother was Ukrainian, and his father’s family hailed from the Lemko village of Bortne, now located in modern-day Poland. Dmytro spent over a decade studying in Italy, mastering the latest musical trends of his time and making a significant contribution to the development of classical music across the European continent.
The premiere of Bortniansky’s first opera, Creonte, took place in Venice in 1776 and was met with resounding success. However, the manuscript of the opera was lost and considered missing for over two centuries. Recently, this invaluable work was rediscovered in a library in Lisbon, marking an exceptional cultural event for all humanity.
Inspired by themes from ancient Greek mythology, the opera tells the story of Creon, the ruler of Thebes, and his confrontation with Antigone, the daughter of Oedipus. Antigone defies Creon’s decree by burying her brother Polynices, who was deemed a traitor, raising themes of resilience and resistance to tyranny. These themes resonate deeply with Ukrainians today as they courageously defend their homeland against a modern aggressor.
The rediscovery of Bortniansky’s opera is unprecedented in history and represents an invaluable legacy of Ukrainian musical culture. The work of this 25-year-old composer urgently needed to be presented to the world, as there were ongoing Russian efforts to claim this opera as the work of a Russian composer. It was vital to restore this masterpiece to Ukraine’s cultural heritage and prevent further appropriation of Ukrainian artists’ works by Russia.
With God’s help, Creonte was solemnly performed on November 11, 2024, in Kyiv, bringing this exceptional work back into the European and global cultural space after nearly 250 years.
Project Participants:
- National Presidential Orchestra of Ukraine
- National Academic Choir “Dumka”
- Ukrainian soloists under the direction of conductor and stage director Herman Makarenko
- Author and initiator of the project: People’s Artist of Ukraine Herman Makarenko
- Co-initiator and co-sponsor: Dr. Mohammad Zahoor
- Performance and project management: YUNA Music Awards and Pavlo Shylko
- Special thanks to Mark Burden for sponsoring the filming of the opera and the event.
This large-scale project was carried out under the patronage of UNESCO with the personal support of its Director-General, Ms. Audrey Azoulay. Event partners included the General Directorate for the Service of Foreign Missions, the ECOGINTOKS Institute, and the Mission Ukraine Foundation.
The VIP event on November 11, 2024, was held at the Diplomatic Academy of Ukraine under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine. Among the distinguished guests were Mykola Tochytskyi, Ukraine’s Minister of Culture and Strategic Communications, Oleksandr Sibiha, Ukraine’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, accredited ambassadors, heads of international diplomatic missions, as well as representatives of domestic and foreign media. They witnessed the return of Ukraine’s cultural heritage to its rightful owners — the Ukrainian people.
