«Creonte» in the Blackout: Historic 139-Minute Recording of Bortniansky’s Opera Completed

We are proud to announce the completion of the extensive work on the studio recording of the full version of Dmytro Bortniansky's opera "Creonte". This release is impressive in its scale: the duration of the first act is 69:29 min., and the second – 69:46 min.

The project united the efforts of the best creative ensembles and soloists of Ukraine. The National Presidential Orchestra of Ukraine, the National Honoured Academic Chapel of Ukraine "Dumka", as well as soloists Serhiy Bortnyk, Olha Fomichova, Danylo Kotok, Marharyta Bilokiz, Stanislav Paschuk and Olha Shadrina-Lychak took part in the creation of the album. This complex yet inspired work was carried out under the direction of choirmaster-director Andriy Savchuk and conductor-director Herman Makarenko.

The recording of the opera took place under extremely difficult conditions in the winter of 2026. The musicians had to work during severe blackouts and at critically low temperatures in the premises. The creative process was frequently interrupted by the sounds of explosions and the wailing of air raid sirens, which required considerable endurance from each participant.

The ensemble was able to accomplish this creative feat thanks to the reliable support and backing of our co-organisers and patrons. We express our deep gratitude to the team of the L.I. Medved Scientific Centre, led by its director, Professor Mykola Prodanchuk, for their invaluable support of the arts during these challenging times.