Vasyl Vovkun

Vasyl Vovkun is the Ukrainian stage director, scriptwriter and culture expert.

In 2007-2010 he was the Minister of Culture and Truism of Ukraine. From March 2017 he is the General Director-Artistic Director of Lviv National Opera.

PhD in culturology.  Master thesis “Ukrainian avant-garde in the context of the Western European cultural processes in the 10^th-30^th years of the XX century”. Professor of the department of theatrical shows and festivals production of National Academy of Government Managerial Staff of Culture and Arts.

As the director he works with many art genres, often combining them. V. Vovkun experimental approach shows future analyzing and comprehending past and present. He is the chief director of more than 400 cultural and art events such as: art shows, new mysteries, classical operas, state, religious and professional celebrations, folk festivals, national and international contests and festivals, youth festivals, alternative concerts, Days of Ukrainian culture and art in Germany, France, China, Slovakia, Poland, Serbia, Georgia, Azerbaijan etc.

1976 – V. Vovkun graduated from Theatre arts studio at Lviv Academic Ukrainian Drama Theatre named after M.Zankovetska.

1976-1977 – worked as an actor in Vinnytsya Ukrainian Music and Drama Theatre named after M. Sadovskyj.

1977-1981 – studied in Kyiv State Institute of Theatre Arts named after I.Karpenko-Karyj.

1981-1989 – worked as an actor in Chernivtsi Ukrainian Music and Drama Theatre named after O. Kobylynska.

1989-1994 – worked as an actor in Kyiv theatre “Bud’mo”.

1988 – a member of  Theatre Artists Union of Ukraine.

1994-1998 – chief director in Ukrainian State Centre of Cultural Initiatives in the Ministry of Culture of Ukraine.

1994-2005 – founder and artistic director of the Art agency “Art Veles”.

1996 – a member of the National Committee of International Council of Folk Festivals Organization.

2002-2003 – the deputy director of the National Union of the Theatre Artists of Ukraine.

1994-2005 – an artistic director of “Ukraine artistic” agency.

2005-2007 – an artistic director of State Concert Agency “Ukraine”.

2006-2007 – a deputy chairman of the National Culture and Morality Board under the President of Ukraine.

2007 – an artistic director of art agency “V-ART”

2007-2010 – the Minister of Culture and Tourism of Ukraine

2010 – a professor in National Academy of Government Managerial Staff of Culture and Arts.

June 2014-12.03.2017 – artistic director of Lviv National Opera.

13 March 2017 – General Director-Artistic Director of Lviv National Opera.

Honorific titles

• Honored Art Worker of Ukraine (1998)
• People’s Artist of Ukraine (2007)
• Honored by Ministry of Culture and Art of Ukraine for the achievements in progress in culture and art (2003, 2007)
• Order of Merit (third grade) (2005)
• Letter of commendation of the Supreme Council of Ukraine (2007)
• The best director of Musical Shows in Ukraine (1994, “New Stars of the Past Year” festival)
• The best director of Mass Shows in Ukraine (1997, 1998, 1999, “National music rating Profi”)
• Gold Trident award for the experiments in modern Ukrainian art in the category “Best Director” (1997)

Church honorific awards:

• Saint Volodymyr the Great Order (third grade) (2006)
• Christ the Savior Order (2007)
• Letter of commendation of the Most Blessed Svyatoslav – Major Kyiv and Galych Archbishop of Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church (2012)

Performances:

• “Oedipus rex” opera-oratorio after Sophocles by I. Stravinsky (1996,  Slavutych; 1998, Kyiv)
• Mysterial show “Golden Gate of the Millennium” (1999, Kyiv)
• Mega show “Communication for the sake of future”, based on “Carmina Burana” by Carl Orff
• Folk Metamorphoses “Descended from the Sun” after V. Pavlikovskyi (2007)
•  The Commemoration day of the victims of the famine in 1932-1933 in Ukraine: Sorrowful march, National Moment of Silence, Ukrainian movement  “Light the Candle”
•  Hucul myth-opera-dance by V. Pavlikovskyi “Ole” (Oleksa Dovbysh) (2012,  Yaremche)
•  Music performance “Fight and you will win” (Lviv National Opera, 2014)

Neomysteries:

• I. (Romance) (after M. Khvyliovyi, 1993)
• Reveal yourself (after P. Tychyna, 1994)
•  Confession (after M. Rylskyi, 1995)
• I do not want to go back to the USSR (after I. Bagryanyi, 1996)
• Zirka Polyn (1997)
• Night concerts (after M. Bazhan 1994-1999)
• Reveal yourself (after G. Skovoroda, 2002)
•  The White Bird (after I. Mykolaichyk, 2006)
• The Fair (after V. Zubrytskyi, 2006) and other.

Oratorios:

• Requiem for those who died during the famine in Ukraine by Y. Stankovych (2004-2005)
•  War Requiem by B. Britten (2004)
•  Stabat Mater by J. Lanyuk (2008)
•  Taras Passion by Y. Stankovych (2013)

Operas:

•  G. Verdi “Un Ballo in Maschera” (Lviv National Opera, 2005)
•  B. Britten “The Turn of the Screw” (National Conservatory named after P. Tchaikovsky)
•  K. Dankevych “Bogdan Khelnytskyi” (Donetsk National Opera, 2005)
•  W.A. Mozart “Don Giovanni” (Lviv National Opera and Lviv National Music Academy n.a. Mykola Lysenko, 2015)
• W.A. Mozart “The Marriage of Figaro" (Warsaw Chamber Opera, 2015)
• W.A. Mozart “The Mad Day, or The Marriage of Figaro" (Lviv National Opera and Lviv National Music Academy n.a. Mykola Lysenko, 2016)
• G. Verdi “Nabucco” (Odesa National Opera, 2017)
• Ye. Stankovych "When the Fern Bloom "(Lviv National Opera, 2017)
• W.A. Mozart “Don Giovanni” (Lviv National Opera, 2018)
• I. Nebesnyi "Fox Mykyta" (Lviv National Opera, 2020)/ 

Chief producer of:

• Inauguration of the President V. Yushchenko
• Art show “Ukraine is the Heart of Europe” – ceremony dedicated to the Eurovision opening day (2005).

Festivals and competitions:

• Ukrainian festival of  modern song and pop music “Chervona Ruta” (1989-1995)
• Ballet dancer international competition named after S. Lifar
• Ukrainian folklore international festival “Beregynya” (Lutsk 1994, 1998, 2004, 2007, 2013)
• Festival of traditional Ukrainian art “Pokut’” (Kharkiv 1996, 1998)
• Literature and art festival “Lesya’s Autumn” (Yalta 1994-2007)
•  Festival of Ukrainian culture in Poland (Sopot 2000-2007)

Author of the plays:

•  “Father’s Thresholds” after G. Tyutyunnyk (1985)
•  “Morning Soul” after O. Kobylyanska (1988)
•  “Frosty Happiness” (Kyiv, 1991)

•  “Frescos” (Lviv, 2001)
•  “Parallel Visions” in 2 volumes (Kyiv, 2007)
•  “Mass culture and production of the mass shows” (Kyiv, 2013)
•  “Famine” (Chernivtsi, 2013)

Exhibitions:

• Independent Silence (Kyiv, 2001, Yalta, 2003)
• Circle (National Museum of the Ukrainian Art, 2002)
• Days of Ukrainian Culture in Georgia (2004)
• Colours and Melodies of Ukrainian Holidays (Kyiv, Kharkiv, Dnipropetrovsk, Kirovograd, Sumy, Poltava, Odesa, Mykolaiv, Simferopol, Sevastopol, Kherson, Zaporizhia, Yalta, 2005-2007)
• “Ukrainian Museum” (Winnipeg, Canada, 2007)

Lviv National Opera Development Program – Ukrainian Breakthrough:

• making creative breakthrough of Ukrainian opera art in the European context with its various forms and styles, challenges and provocations;
• leaving the theatre-museum, where the world is frozen and there are no living reflections;
• transforming into a modern space, feeling time and its actualization;
• composing and staging new operas and ballets by Ukrainian composers;
• extending the world classic music range;
• co-producing with European music theatres;
• cooperating with the best singers, dancers, conductors, choreographers, choirmasters and directors;
• professional masterclasses;
• cultural platforms;
• reviving the tradition of writing and staging chamber operas;
• holding International Solomiya Krushelnytska Opera Singers Contests and Festivals;
• promoting modern management, as a tool for Lviv Opera to become a centre of cultural influence in Ukraine and to enhance international image.