“Vienna Spring”: Memorial concert and photo exhibition
The concert "Vienna Spring" and the accompanying photo exhibition were dedicated to the memory of the Austrian conductor, composer, educator, and cultural mediator Kurt Schmid, who was closely associated with Ukraine for more than two decades and made a significant contribution to the cultural dialogue between Austria and Ukraine.
May 9, 2026, marked the first anniversary of his death. Holding this project in Ukraine—his second home—was a sign of deep gratitude to an artist and humanist who influenced generations of musicians and connected people through music.
Idea and Concept: Julia Ostroverkhova
Concert
The concert took place on May 9, 2026, in the Lviv Organ Hall and was completely sold out. The great interest shown by the audience demonstrated how much people need music full of warmth, lightness, and hope, especially in these times.
For one evening, the organ hall was transformed into a little piece of Vienna. Kurt Schmid’s music, with its characteristic Viennese sound—elegance, humor, joie de vivre, and melodic warmth—created a special atmosphere that deeply touched both the audience and the performers.
It was particularly moving that numerous friends, companions, colleagues, and former partners of Kurt Schmid from his time working in Luhansk traveled from various cities in Ukraine to Lviv to commemorate him together.
The concert was performed by the Luhansk Philharmonic Academic Symphony Orchestra under the direction of the French conductor Samuel Couffignal. His interpretation impressively conveyed the distinctive Viennese spirit and the lightness of this music.
The soloists for the evening were Yurii Kyrychenko (violin) and Anna Shumarina (mezzo-soprano). Both captivated the audience with exceptional musicality, expressiveness, and great emotional presence.
Photo Exhibition
On May 8, an accompanying photo exhibition documenting Kurt Schmid’s decades of artistic work in Ukraine was opened in the gallery of the Lviv Organ Hall.
Due to the great interest, the exhibition opening was held twice: on May 8 for a small group of close friends and colleagues, and again on May 9 for the numerous concertgoers.
The exhibition will remain open to the public in the Lviv Organ Hall until May 15, 2026.
The pictures are provided by the organisers.
