From November 10 to 21, the National Philharmonic of Ukraine hosts the second edition of the Kyiv Baroque Fest–2025. This event brings together prominent Ukrainian and European musicians, researchers, students, and music enthusiasts. Over twelve days, Kyiv will resonate with baroque music, creating a lively space for presence and dialogue.
“Establishing a major European festival during a full-scale invasion is an act of resilience and resistance. The festival serves as a platform for collaboration between Ukrainian musicians and their foreign counterparts. The theme of baroque emphasizes the complexity of our world. It is up to us how it will look tomorrow. Thank you to our partners and co-founders of this event, which will undoubtedly gain importance on the artistic map of Europe!” said First Deputy Minister of Culture and Strategic Communications, Halyna Hryhorenko.
The festival is organized by the National Philharmonic of Ukraine in partnership with Open Opera Ukraine and the National House of Music, supported by diplomatic missions of European countries.
This year’s theme – Take Five! – refers to one of the most famous jazz standards, opening a space for new stylistic connections and creative experiments. It also alludes to five composers who shaped the European music landscape: Heinrich Schütz, Georg Friedrich Handel, Domenico Scarlatti, Johann Sebastian Bach, and Maxim Berezovsky. Their music connects different cultural worlds – from Dresden to Naples, from London to Kyiv.
The festival program features performances by world-renowned musicians: countertenor Andreas Scholl (Germany), the ensemble Festina Lente (Italy), cornetto player 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 Mark Kodd (UK-Poland).
This year marks the festival's first collaboration 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 organizers note, Take Five! invites participants to listen to 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 Center in Kyiv, the Polish Institute in Kyiv, the Embassy of the Italian Republic in Ukraine, the Italian Cultural Institute in Ukraine, the cultural institution “Mizhvuhamy”, the Young Musicians' Center, and Freeki.