Volodymyr Kozhukhar

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In this name that follows Eastern Slavic naming customs, the patronymic is Markovych and the family name is Kozhukhar.
Volodymyr Kozhukhar
Володимир Кожухар
Born
Volodymyr Markovych Kozhukhar

(1941-03-16)16 March 1941
Vinnytsia, Ukrainian SSR, Soviet Union
Died3 December 2022(2022-12-03) (aged 81)
Occupations
  • Conductor
  • academic teacher
Organizations
  • Symphony Orchestra of the Ukrainian SSR
  • Stanislavski and Nemirovich-Danchenko Music Theatre
  • Gnesin Music and Pedagogy Institute
  • National Opera of Ukraine
  • Kyiv Conservatory
Awards

Volodymyr Markovych Kozhukhar (Ukrainian: Володимир Маркович Кожухар; 16 March 1941 – 3 December 2022) was a Soviet and Ukrainian conductor and academic teacher who focused on opera. Most notably, he conducted and taught in Kyiv and Moscow, among other places.

His first post was chief conductor of the

Kyiv Conservatory
from 1993. He conducted both internal operatic repertoire and stage works by Ukrainian composers, and took the opera company on tours throughout Europe, Canada, and Japan.

Kozhukhar received the

Order of Merit of Ukraine
, 1st class in 2016.

Biography

Youth and education

Kozhukhar was born in

Kyiv Conservatory as an instrumentalist who also composed music as a hobby. He also spent much time studying orchestral scores, which caught the attention of fellow students and, later, school administrative staff. Despite being invited to study conducting, Kozhukhar initially declined the offer. His teachers persuaded him to reconsider, telling him that "a single orchestral instrument [was] not enough" for him.[1]

He proceeded to study conducting with Mikhail Kanerstein

Kyiv Conservatory and graduated from there in 1963.[3] Kozhukhar also continued post-graduate studies in conducting with Gennady Rozhdestvensky at the Moscow Conservatory.[2]

Early career

Kozhukhar began conducting professionally in 1964.

State Symphony Orchestra of Ukraine),[3] and in 1967 their chief conductor.[4]

Opera and ballet

Kozhukhar conducted at the

Katerina Izmailova in Naples.[4] He held the post until 2011.[3]

Teaching

Kozhukhar taught opera and orchestral conducting at the

Gnesin Music and Pedagogy Institute in Moscow from 1978 to 1988, and was a professor at the Kyiv Conservatory from 1993.[3]

Personal life

Kozhukhar had acquired the nickname "The Tracker" from violinist Oleh Krysa because, according to him, a soloist could not get away from him." Later he was also known as "The Computer", a nickname which Kozhukhar said he enjoyed:

Keeping in mind that a conductor has got to think faster than everyone else sitting before him, I am not offended [by the name]. Fooling me is impossible. I hear everything. I tell performers that the only times I make no comments [during rehearsal] are: if they are brilliant or if they are hopeless.[1]

Kozhukhar died on 3 December 2022, at age 81.[4]

Recordings

Kozhukhar recorded works by Ukrainian composers such as Borys Lyatoshynsky, Andriy Shtoharenko, Lev Kolodub, Vitaliy Hubarenko, and Myroslav Skoryk.[3] In 1970, he recorded Heorhiy Maiboroda’s Symphony No. 2 (1952, revised 1966) with the Ukrainian SSR State Symphony Orchestra.[6]: 37  He recorded two symphonies by Levko Revutsky: the Symphony No. 1 in A major, Op. 3 (1916–21, rev. 1957), combined with the Maiboroday symphony in 1970, and the Symphony No. 2 in E major, Op. 12 (1926-7, rev. 1940 and 1970) in 1973.[6]: 69  He recorded Serdar Mukhatov's Symphony No. 2 in 1981.[6]: 53 

Awards

Kozhukhar was awarded the Order of Merit of Ukraine of the first degree in 2016.[4]

References

  1. ^ a b "Владимир Кожухарь – человек-оркестр". Политические Известия в Украине (in Russian). 16 March 2011. Archived from the original on 10 December 2022. Retrieved 10 December 2022.
  2. ^ a b c Bentya, Yuliya (24 January 2008). "Музыкальный тяжеловес". ClassicalMusicNews.Ru (in Russian). Archived from the original on 10 December 2022. Retrieved 10 December 2022.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g "Kozhukhar, Volodymyr". Encyclopedia of Ukraine. 2017. Retrieved 5 December 2022.
  4. ^ a b c d e f Богданьок, Олена (4 December 2022). "Помер диригент Володимир Кожухар" [Conductor Vladimir Kozhukhar died] (in Ukrainian). Suspilne Media. Retrieved 5 December 2022.
  5. ^ a b c Nordlinger, Jay (9 December 2019). "Some erotic evening". The New Criterion. Retrieved 7 December 2022.
  6. ^ a b c Herman, Michael (August 2020). "Russian, Soviet & Post-Soviet Symphonies" (PDF). musicweb-international.com. Retrieved 7 December 2022.

Further reading

  • Konkova, Halyna: Vladimir Kozhukhar: Magiia talanta (in Ukrainian), Kyiv, 2010

External links

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