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.

 

Vasyl Vasylenko is an Artistic Director of the International Opera Art Festival Zolota Korona/Golden Crown (1998), one of the most prestigious forums of classical music in Ukraine. Over the years Golden Crown has represented around one hundred worldwide opera stars and conductors from all over the world, as well as from La Scala, Vienna Staatsoper, Bolshoi and Mariinskiy Theatres of Russia.

 

Maestro Vasylenko has participated in many international festivals of opera and ballet art in the USA, Canada, Great Britain, Germany, Switzerland, Spain, Croatia, Romania, Moldova, Belarus, and Russia. In 2004 he headed International Opera Art Festival Irina Arkhipova Presenting as a principal conductor. He also conducted opera Eugeny Onegin featuring Irina Arkhipova at Chelyabinsk Opera Theatre in Russia.

 

Vasyl Vasylenko collaborated with such well-known orchestras and opera companies as Mississauga Opera House and New World Philharmonic Orchestra and Choir of Ottawa and Montreal (Canada), Scottsdale Symphony Orchestra of Arizona (the USA), Zagreb National Opera Theatre (Croatia), Constanta and Krajova Opera Houses (Romania), National Bolshoi Opera Theatre of Belarus, National Opera House of Moldova, National Opera Theatre of Sakha Republic, Chelyabinsk State Academic Opera and Ballet Theatre (Russia), National Opera of Ukraine, National Symphony Orchestra of Ukraine and Symphonic Orchestra of National Radio Company of Ukraine in Kiev, Lviv National Academic Opera and Ballet Theatre (Ukraine), Odessa Philharmonic Orchestra (Ukraine), etc.

 

During 10 years on invitation of Spanish company Concerlirica maestro Vasylenko has been representing Donbass Opera with great success at music festivals in Toledo, Alicante, Malaga, San-Ferdinando, Alhesiras, Lalineya, Kadis, Marbella, Granada, Leon, Torremolinas, Santander at performances and concerts with the participation of Lucrecia Garcia, Carlos Almaguer, Rosa Lee Tomson, Miki Mori, Andres Veramendi, Kathleen Berger, Martin Iliev, Byung Lee Sam, Christina Obregon, George Meladze and many others.

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He also collaborated with such famous opera singers as Luis Quilico, Lyudmila Shemchuk, Paata Burchuladze, Anatoliy Kotcherga, Walter Fink, Shalva Mukeria, Andreas Makko, Stefan Stol, David Jim, Anatoliy Solovyanenko, Vladislav Pyavko, Badri Maisuradze, Emilia Oprya, Mauro Augustini, Maria Bieshu, Victor Tchernomortsev, Ioanna Karvelas, Yury Nechaev, Vitaliy Bilyy, Victoria Lukyanets, Eugene Akimov, Alexander Tsymbalyuk, Ludmila Magomedova, Eugeniy Orlov, Manami Hama, Maurizio Graziani, Mati Palm, Dmitri Popov, Maria Knapic, Dan Serbak, including ballet stars Vladimir Vasiliev, Nina Ananiashvili, Marian Walter, Ulvi Azizov, Vadim Pisarev, Irina Golub, Eugene Ivanchenko and others.

 

For some years Vasyl Vasylenko was a member of The National Council on Culture and Spirituality under the President of Ukraine. He is also a member of the Presidium of the International Union of Musicians in Russia, Professor of S.S.Prokofiev State Music Academy in Donetsk and a President of the S.Prokofiev Charity Fund.

 

Vasyl Vasylenko is a famous Ukrainian conductor, a founder of a great number of international artistic projects in the field of classical music art, an initiator of more than 30 opera and ballet productions, a winner of the titles “Leader of XXI century”, “Honored Ambassador of Ukrainian culture in Canada”, “People’s Artist of Ukraine”. For his significant contribution in the development of the art of classical music he was awarded with the Order of Merit, Grade 3, Commendation Certificate of President of Ukraine, “Best Artist of the year. Face of culture - 2006” Award.

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Vasyl Vasylenko is currently a conductor of the National Presidential Symphony Orchestra of Ukraine, Opera Studio Theatre and professor of the Tchaikovsky National Music Academy of Ukraine, Kiev. Former Music Director and a Principal Conductor of Donbass Opera/ The National Academic Opera and Ballet Theatre in Donetsk, an Artistic Director of the International Opera Art Festival  Zolota Korona (Golden Crown). He is also a former General Director and an Artistic Manager of Odessa Opera House, a conductor of opera state theatres in Kharkov and Odessa, Ukraine.

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