Maestro Vasylenko was a conductor trainee in the Bolshoi Theatre in Moscow under the supervision of outstanding maestro Fuat Mansurov. During his training he attended master-classes of Eugeny Svetlanov, Alexander Lazarev, Mark Ermler, Algis Juraitis (conducting), Pavel Lisitsian, Ivan Kozlovsky, Mark Reizen (vocal) and Boris Pokrovsky (stage directing).
Being General Director and Artistic Manager of Odessa Opera House Vasyl Vasylenko devoted 10 years of his artistic life to renaissance of this masterpiece of world architecture and saving of the artistic potential of the world famous theatre. That period was marked by an extraordinary creative enthusiasm, bright premieres of operas and ballets, triumphant foreign tours in the USA, Great Britain, Switzerland, Lebanon, the creation of International Opera Art Festival Zolota Korona, and it was truly a creative feat of the troupe during the theatre’s total reconstruction.
In 2002 for the first time in history maestro Vasylenko represented Odessa’s opera troupe in triumphant tour of 25 cities in England, Scotland and Wales. The opera La Traviata in London’s Royal Albert Hall under his direction received brilliant critical acclaim from the international media, including Daily Post.
Since 2003 Vasyl Vasylenko has been currently Music Director and Principal Conductor of Donbass Opera in Donetsk, Sergey Prokofiev’s birthplace. Many music projects in Donbass region’s capital are successfully implemented thanks to maestro Vasylenko. He was the first Ukrainian conductor who staged Falstaf by Verdi in Ukraine аs well as Ukrainian opera Bogdan Khmelnitsky by Dankevich on Donetsk opera stage. He is also the author of the unique project
– the first staging in Ukraine of opera Der Fliegende Holländer, devoted to the
200th anniversary of the birth of Richard Wagner with participation of stage directors from Germany M.Kurochka, Ph.Stölzl’s assistant, production designers M.Hinrichs and T.Möller, – famous stage team of Il Trovatore with A.Netrebko and P.Domingo’s participation at Schiller Opera Theatre. Thus, due to efforts of maestro Vasylenko, Donbass Opera became a flagship among opera houses of Ukraine in terms of creative work and repertoire policy.
