From November 10 to 21, the National Philharmonic of Ukraine hosts the Kyiv Baroque Fest 2025, a gathering of leading Ukrainian and European performers, researchers, and music enthusiasts. Over twelve days, baroque music will fill the air in Kyiv as a space for live presence and dialogue.
“Establishing a major European festival during a time of full-scale invasion is an act of resilience. The festival serves as a platform for partnership between Ukrainian musicians and their international colleagues. The theme of baroque underscores the complexity of our world, yet it is up to us to decide what it will be tomorrow. We thank all partners for supporting this significant event, which will certainly gain importance on the European art map!” said Galina Gryhorenko, First Deputy Minister of Culture.
The festival is organized by the National Philharmonic of Ukraine in partnership with Open Opera Ukraine and the National House of Music, with support from diplomatic missions of European countries.
This year's theme, Take Five!, refers to one of the most famous jazz standards, opening space for new stylistic connections and creative experiments. It also alludes to five composers who shaped the European musical landscape: Heinrich Schütz, George Frideric Handel, Domenico Scarlatti, Johann Sebastian Bach, and Maxim Berezovsky. Their music connects various cultural worlds, from Dresden to Naples, from London to Kyiv.
The festival program features performances by world-renowned musicians: countertenor Andreas Scholl (Germany), ensemble Festina Lente (Italy), cornetist Josue Melendez Pelaez (Switzerland-Mexico), soprano Hana Blazikova (Czech Republic), harpsichordist Marek Toporowski (Poland), flutist Jan de Winne (Belgium), viola da gamba player Salome Gaslen (France), and cellist Marek Kodl (UK-Poland).
This year, the festival collaborates for the first time with the Ukrainian inclusive brand FREEki, which designed the official merchandise for the event. This collaboration exemplifies socially responsible partnership, where ethics, beauty, and creativity become part of a unified philosophy.
As the organizers note, Take Five! invites listeners to engage with five voices that connect Europe through music, reminding us that Ukrainian culture is an integral part of this polyphonic continent.
Festival partners include the Embassy of France in Ukraine, the French Institute in Ukraine, the Embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany in Ukraine, the Goethe-Institut in Ukraine, the Embassy of the Kingdom of Belgium in Ukraine, the Czech Centre in Kyiv, the Polish Institute in Kyiv, the Embassy of the Italian Republic in Ukraine, the Italian Institute of Culture in Ukraine, the cultural institution “Between Ears,” the Young Music Center, and Freeki.