- Year founded – 1969
- City – Kyiv (Ukraine)
- Genre – symphonic music, rock, pop, electronic music
NAOFI Orchestra (Ukrainian National Academic Orchestra of Folk Instruments) is a renowned Ukrainian artistic ensemble with more than half a century of history. The orchestra became famous for its masterful performances of classical compositions, rock hits, and soundtracks using more than 40 folk instruments.
History of Creation
Origin of the Idea
The history of NAOFI dates back long before the official creation of the orchestra and is inseparably connected with the development of Ukrainian musical culture. At the end of the 19th century, the outstanding bandura player, researcher, and promoter of folk instruments Hnat Khotkevych set an ambitious goal – to unite individual performers into a single orchestral ensemble. In 1899, during the 11th Archaeological Congress in Kharkiv, he organized a performance of kobzars, lirnyks, and traditional trio music ensembles, and the finale of the concert became the unification of all participants into one large orchestra.
It was then that the Ukrainian folk song «Buckwheat Cakes» was performed, and the enthusiastic audience demanded it be played several more times. This performance became the first large-scale attempt to create a Ukrainian folk instruments orchestra.
Foundation of the Orchestra
The idea continued its development already in the 20th century. In 1969, the National Academic Orchestra of Folk Instruments of Ukraine was founded, and it quickly gained recognition among both listeners and music scholars. From its very debut, the ensemble focused not only on popularizing folk music but also on preserving cultural heritage, becoming essentially the only professional orchestra of Ukrainian folk instruments of such a scale. The people of Kyiv were the first to appreciate the creativity of the new ensemble – the debut concert took place in spring 1970 on the stage of the National Opera of Ukraine.
Since then, NAOFI has evolved from a classical folk ensemble into one of the most famous Ukrainian groups, boldly experimenting with style, sound, and genres. The orchestra has become a true creative laboratory where musicians not only perform compositions but also collect, restore, and improve folk instruments from different regions of the country. It was during this period that unique ensembles of sopilka players, bandura players, and drymba players emerged within the collective.
The orchestra’s conductors played an important role in the development of NAOFI. In 1969, Viktor Hutsal became the second conductor. From 1981 to 1987, the outstanding violinist Vasyl Terpeliuk served as artistic director and chief conductor. During this period, the Kyiv Orchestra of Folk Instruments of Ukraine received the status of a State orchestra. The next important stage was receiving National status in 1997, according to the decree of the President of Ukraine. In 2009, the orchestra officially became Academic. Thus, one of the most unique ensembles in the Ukrainian music industry was formed, whose creativity has long gone beyond the boundaries of traditional folklore.
NAOFI Composition
Today, NAOFI’s conducting team unites three maestros, while the orchestra itself includes eight separate chamber ensembles. This structure allows the collective to successfully present large-scale concert programs with its full lineup – more than 60 musicians – as well as perform as mobile creative formations at various venues, festivals, and cultural events.
Conducting team:
- Viktor Hutsal (artistic director and chief conductor, People’s Artist of Ukraine);
- Ivan Korin (orchestra conductor);
- Oleh Kuntyi (orchestra conductor).
Internal ensembles:
- Kobza Group (an ensemble of ancient plucked string instruments);
- Traditional Trio Music Ensemble (a traditional folklore ensemble);
- Chamber Orchestra (a group performing academic and classical arrangements);
- Kuvytsi Quartet (an ensemble focused on performing on the Ukrainian variety of Pan flute);
- String Quintet (an academic group of bowed string instruments);
- Sopilka-Zozulky Ensemble (a wind instrument group);
- Bandura Group Ensemble (traditional Ukrainian multi-string instruments);
- «Accord» String Quartet (a separate classical-oriented ensemble).
Instrumental Diversity
The uniqueness of NAOFI also lies in its instrumental composition. The ensemble’s artists master nearly forty types of folk instruments. Among them are banduras and kozybasses, horns and tsymbaly, kobzas, domras, accordions, violins, basolis and liras, tylinkas, zozulkas, reed pipes, Cossack trumpets, floyars, and Poltava horns, rubels with rolling pins, beresta, and many others.
It is this instrumental diversity that creates the orchestra’s distinctive sound and makes it one of the most unique musical ensembles in the world. Each concert becomes an opportunity to hear the sound of instruments that are an integral part of Ukrainian culture and have a centuries-old history.
The Ensemble’s Repertoire
Today, NAOFI’s repertoire includes more than 2,500 works of various genres. The musicians create concert programs that are equally engaging for both academic music connoisseurs and a broad audience. The foundation of the repertoire remains Ukrainian folk instrumental music from all historical regions of Ukraine. It defines the orchestra’s style and its unique sound.
At the same time, the orchestra has long been known for its bold experiments. NAOFI masterfully adapts global rock and pop hits to the sound of banduras, tsymbaly, trembitas, and other Ukrainian instruments, revealing familiar compositions from a completely new perspective.
One of NAOFI’s most popular programs is «Cine Symphony», which includes soundtracks from iconic films, including «Harry Potter», «Game of Thrones», and «Star Wars». Interactive children’s programs, including «The Conductor’s Magic Wand», are also highly popular. Thanks to such genre diversity, the ensemble easily connects with listeners of different ages, and each concert transforms into a true musical show.
Recent History
Over more than half a century of creative activity, NAOFI has held more than 2,500 concerts and completed large-scale tours in more than 50 countries around the world. The orchestra has represented Ukrainian culture at international festivals and prestigious artistic events, performing in Azerbaijan, Armenia, Tajikistan, Georgia, the Baltic countries, Austria, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, and other states.
The ensemble has significantly changed perceptions of the possibilities of folk music by actively developing collaborations with contemporary Ukrainian artists. Among the most famous joint projects are performances with ONUKA, Oleh Skrypka, Ruslana, and the bands «Druha Rika» and Mad Heads. These collaborations became a vivid example of how traditional Ukrainian sound can organically combine with the modern stage.
A special place in the ensemble’s history belongs to its performance together with ONUKA in the final of «Eurovision 2017» in Kyiv. The performance became a true sensation, received widespread international recognition, impressed European critics, and remains one of the brightest moments of the contest to this day.
The orchestra’s representatives believe that there are practically no genre limitations for NAOFI. The musicians have successfully worked with electronic music, DJs, rock bands, opera singers, and other performers, once again proving the versatility of Ukrainian folk instruments.
Creative Work During the War
After the beginning of the full-scale war, the orchestra did not stop its activities. NAOFI continues to give charity concerts, supports Ukrainian soldiers, and some members of the ensemble have joined the Armed Forces of Ukraine. Today, the orchestra’s mission goes far beyond the concert stage. The musicians call themselves defenders of the cultural front, because they see living continuation of national history in folk instruments, traditional music, and Ukrainian melodies. More than sixty NAOFI artists prove every day through their creativity that culture is also a powerful force of resistance and one of the symbols of Ukraine’s resilience.
Selected Albums and Signature Collections:
- «Instrumental Music of Ukraine» (compilation album) (1971);
- «Oh, I Am Beautiful, I Am Beautiful» (Raisa Kyrychenko and the orchestra) (1990);
- «Anatolii Solovianenko: Italian Arias and Songs» (1996);
- «My Thoughts, My Thoughts» (Stefan Pyatnychko and the orchestra) (2001);
- «Ave Maria!» (Inna Andriiash and NAOFI) (2007);
- Onuka: Live With NAOFI Orchestra (2LP, vinyl record) (2020);
- the anthology «Melodies of Ukraine» and others.
