Andrii Shtoharenko (15 October 1902, Novi Kaidaky - 15 November 1992, Kyiv) was a Ukrainian composer, teacher, musician and public figure. Honoured Artist of the Ukrainian SSR (1947), People's Artist of the Ukrainian SSR (1970), People's Artist of the USSR (1972). Hero of Socialist Labour (1982).
He was born on 15 October 1902 in the village of Novi Kaidaky, a suburb of Yekaterinoslav (now part of Dnipro). His father, Yakiv Sofronovych, was a turner at the Bryansk Metallurgical Plant (in Soviet times, the Petrovsky Metallurgical Plant) and a great fan of music. He played many folk instruments and took an active part in amateur theatre performances. His mother was a good singer of folk songs and also had acting skills. Even in his early childhood, little Andrii heard many songs from his mother, who sang them in a particularly touching way with her wonderful chesty voice. The love of music was very strong in the family and inspired him to create his own amateur ensemble of folk instruments.
Thus, Andrii joined music from childhood, and during his school years he attended classes at the Katerynoslav Music School (1912-1915, class of Z. Razlovska). Due to lack of money, the family had to move to Donbas. There, the composer's father founded a drama club. Young Shtoharenko became the director of the choir there. Later, the family returned to their hometown. There, the composer began his amateur music career by organising a musical and instrumental ensemble of local residents.
In 1921-1930, he taught singing in secondary schools in Katerynoslav (from 1926, Dnipro).
In 1926, he organised an ensemble of accordionists, called the 1st Ukrainian Komsomol Chamber Ensemble, with which he performed until 1930. The aim of this ensemble was to spread folk art and works by Ukrainian composers to the masses.
He received his musical education at the Kharkiv Music and Drama Institute, Faculty of Theory and Composition (1930-1936, class of Professor S. Bohatyrev). His first compositions date back to 1931. By the time he graduated, he had composed several choral and vocal symphonic works.
After graduating from the conservatory in 1936, Shtogarenko stayed in Kharkiv, where he worked until the beginning of the German-Soviet war: from 1936 to 1941 he headed the section of defence music at the Composers' Union; he was deputy chairman of the Composers' Union (Kharkiv branch). From 1939 he was a member of the board, from 1947-1956 - deputy chairman, and from 1968-1989 - chairman of the board of the Union of Composers of Ukraine.
During the Second World War, A. Shtoharenko, along with many Ukrainian artists, was evacuated to Alma-Ata and Ashgabat. There, the artist continued his public activities: in 1941-1943, he was the executive secretary of the Union of Composers of Turkmenistan, helped young composers of the republic, and maintained contacts with Ukrainian musicians who were in Central Asia. During these years, choral song became the leading genre of his work. In 1943, his cantata-symphony "My Ukraine" (words by A. Malyshko and M. Rylsky) was performed for the first time.
Since 1943, Shtoharenko's life and work have been connected with Kyiv, where he began working at the Kyiv Conservatory:
since 1960 - professor;
in 1968-1990 - Head of the Department of Composition;
In 1954-1968, he was the rector of the Conservatory.
Shtoharenko's students are well-known musicians: Y. Ishchenko, A. Vmnokur, K. Vilenskyi, A. Kostin, E. Milka, V. Podvala, I. Poklad, M. Stepanenko, V. Tylyk, V. Filipenko, Y. Shamo, V. Zahortsev, N. Boieva, V. Ronzhyn, and others.
In 1962, he organised the Mykola Lysenko International Music Competition.
In 1970, he was a member of the jury of the IV International Tchaikovsky Competition in the speciality of vocal performance.
He was married to Ukrainian pianist, Honoured Artist of Ukraine Ariadna Lysenko. He died on 15 November 1992. He was buried at the Baikove Cemetery (central alley, plot No. 2).
Awards:
State Prize of the USSR in 1946 and 1952, Taras Shevchenko State Prize of the Ukrainian SSR in 1974
title of People's Artist of the USSR
Works.
The composer's work is heavily based on song folklore and historical songs. His works are monumental and have clear forms, such as a concert suite and a symphonic cantata. The mood of the works is positive and energetic. The main images are patriotic themes, lyrics, dance images and satirical images.The creative heritage of Andriy Shtoharenko consists of numerous symphonies, choral works, songs, music for dramatic performances, in total more than 100 works, including:
Symphonic works
Symphony-cantata No. 1 "My Ukraine" - 1942-1943.
Symphony No. 2 for string orchestra "In Memory of a Comrade" - 1965.
Symphony No. 3 "Kyiv" - 1972.
Symphony No. 4 "Symphonic Fairy Tales" - 1973.
Symphony No. 5 "Dedicated to the Komsomol" - 1976.
Symphony No. 6 "Biographical" - 1978.
Suite "In Memory of Lesya Ukrainka" - 1951.
Suite "Youth" for string orchestra - 1959.
Suite "Pioneer" - 1965.
Symphonic poem "March" - 1936.
"Partisan Pictures" - concerto for piano and orchestra - 1957.
"Divertissement" - Concerto for flute and string orchestra - 1957.
Concerto for violin and orchestra - 1971.
Concerto for violin and orchestra - 1972.
Concerto for piano and orchestra - 1973.
"Four Symphonic Fairy Tales" - 1947.
"March Overture" (on the theme of Mykola Lysenko) - 1959.
"Youth Poem" - 1959.
"Symphonic Dances" for piano and orchestra - 1980;
Vocal and symphonic works:
"About Canal Works" - ballad for mixed choir, soloists and symphony orchestra - 1936.
"Girl's Fate" - suite for voice and symphony orchestra - 1937.
"Childhood" - orchestral and vocal suite with music for a drama performance - 1939.
"My Ukraine". Text by A. Malyshko and M. Rylsky - symphony-cantata (No. 1) for mixed choir, soloists and symphony orchestra - 1942-1943.
"Glory to the winners". Cantata for choir and symphony orchestra - 1943.
"Russia" - a vocal and symphonic poem for baritone, mixed choir and symphony orchestra - 1950.
"About the Native Party". Poem for choir, soloist and symphony orchestra - 1953-1954.
"The Dawn of Communism Has Risen" - 1954.
"Lyrical Ode to October". For women's choir and symphony orchestra - 1957.
"About unforgettable people". Vocal and symphonic ballads for bass: "The Tale of the Unknown Soldier", "The Marshal's Violin", "Terkin the Good Guy" - 1967.
"By the Roads of October" - oratorio - 1967.
"By the Roads of October" - vocal and symphonic story. 1977.
Works of chamber and instrumental music include:
"March to the Launch of the Dniproges" for solo accordion - 1933.
Quartet for two violins, viola and cello - 1935.
"Rondo" for violin and piano - 1936.
"Poem" for violin and piano - 1943.
"Song" for violin and piano - 1950.
"Two Ukrainian Dances" for accordion - 1950.
Quartet ("Armenian Sketches") for two violins, viola and cello - 1960.
"Fantasy" for solo violin - 1960.
"Three poems for piano in memory of musicians - 1961.
"Youth Trio" for violin, cello and piano - 1961.
"Ballad" and "Mock March" for cello and piano - 1963.
"Images" for piano - 1970.
"Four Ukrainian Dances" for violin and piano - 1970.
Sonata for cello and piano - 1976.
"Etudes-Paintings" for piano - 1978.
Awards and memories
He was awarded the Order of Lenin (1960), the Order of the October Revolution (1971), the Order of the Red Banner of Labour (1948), and the Bulgarian Order of Cyril and Methodius. Laureate of the Stalin Prize (1946, 1952). Laureate of the Shevchenko State Prize of the Ukrainian SSR (1974).
Since 17 March 1994, the city municipal cultural institution "Dnipro Music School No. 2" in Dnipro, the composer's hometown, has been named after Andrii Shtoharenko.
On 1 July 2008, a memorial plaque was installed at 11 Mykhailo Omelianovych-Pavlenko Street in Kyiv, where Andrii Shtoharenko lived.
Since 2016, the former Lukashenko Street in the Novokodatskyi district of Dnipro has been named after Andrii Shtoharenko.
The magazine "Perets" №19 of 1982 published a friendly cartoon by A. Harutyunyanets dedicated to the 80th anniversary of the artist.
