The world of music has lost a talented bassoonist and conductor, Kostiantyn Starovytskyi, who tragically died during the war with Russia. He was fulfilling a combat mission in the area of the village of Torske, Donetsk region when the tragedy occurred.
Starovytskyi was a talented conductor, having performed a number of operas on Kyiv stages, such as Gaetano Donizetti’s “Rita” in 2015, which received four nominations for the “Kyiv Pectoral” theater award. He also conducted “Don Pasquale” in 2019, Gian Carlo Menotti’s “Medium” in 2018, and Giacomo Puccini’s “Gianni Scicchi” in 2019.
Since 2013, he served as a guest conductor of the Kyiv Opera and the Kyiv Symphony Orchestra. In 2018, he was appointed as the chief conductor of the chamber opera festival “Opera Weekend.” Furthermore, in 2021, he received an invitation to the Berlin Opera Academy as an assistant conductor.
People who worked with him have praised Starovytskyi’s exceptional talent, leadership skills, and character. Director Oleksandr Spivakovsky, who collaborated with him on numerous occasions, described him as an honest and devoted person who was always ready to help his colleagues.
Kostiantyn Starovytskyi
Born on October 30, 1982, in Kherson, Starovytskyi graduated from the National Academy of Music of Ukraine as a bassoonist and later pursued studies in conducting under the tutelage of Volodymyr Kozhuhar.
Despite his successful music career, Starovytskyi felt compelled to serve his country in the face of aggression. He served as a senior rifleman of the guard company branch of the Brovary district territorial center and continued to serve in the ranks of the Armed Forces until his passing. At the time of his death, he held the position of senior driver of the engineering company of the 58th Konotop Brigade.
Starovytskyi is survived by his wife Snizhana, his minor daughter Eva, and his elderly parents. His loss is felt deeply by the music community and his fellow Ukrainians, who mourn his passing and honor his memory.