Theodore Kuchar

Theodore Kuchar (born May 31, 1963) is a Ukrainian American conductor of classical music and a violist.

Theodore Kuchar

Biography

Kuchar was born in 1963 in New York City.[1][2][3] He started to learn to play the violin at ten years of age, later switching to viola.[4] He graduated from the Cleveland Institute of Music, where his viola instructor was Robert Vernon, in 1982.[5][6]

In 1980, he was awarded a Paul Fromm Fellowship from the Boston Symphony Orchestra to study at Tanglewood Music Center.[5][7] He was the principal violist of orchestras in Cleveland, Helsinki, and Cape Town.[1][4][8]

In 1987 he became music director of the Queensland Philharmonic Orchestra in Australia,[7] a post that he held until 1993.[3] Between 1990 and 2006, he served as the first Artistic Director of the Australian Festival of Chamber Music in Townsville; a Theodore Kuchar Scholarship for Excellence in Music was established there after his departure.[1][9][10][11] He was also Music Director of the West Australian Ballet in Perth until 1993.[6]

In 1992 Kuchar was appointed Principal Guest Conductor of the Ukrainian State Symphony Orchestra, which changed its name to National Symphony Orchestra of Ukraine in 1994.[1] In that year he became Artistic Director and Principal Conductor of the Orchestra.[5][12] After his contract with the Orchestra ended in 2000, he was awarded the title of Conductor Laureate for Life.[1][5] Under Kuchar's direction, the National Symphony Orchestra of Ukraine became the most frequently recorded orchestra of the former Soviet Union,[5][12] with over 60 compact discs under Naxos Records and its Marco Polo label.[6] Theodore Kuchar's complete discography is numbered over 100 with over 90 records under Naxos Records.[13]

Between 1996 and 2006, he was music director and conductor of the Boulder Philharmonic Orchestra.[5][14] He founded the Sinfonia of Colorado, a chamber ensemble, in 1997; it was disbanded in 2002.[15] He was also professor and director of orchestral studies at the College of Music of the University of Colorado at Boulder between 1996 and 2001.[1][4] From 2002 to 2016 he was music director and conductor of the Fresno Philharmonic Orchestra.[16] From 2003 to 2018 he was music director and conductor of the Reno Chamber Orchestra.[17]

His current positions include:

Selected discography
  • Borys Lyatoshynsky. Symphonies Nos. 2 and 3. Ukrainian State Symphony Orchestra; Theodore Kuchar, conductor. Naxos/Marco Polo, 1994. The Australian Broadcasting Corporation gave the record an award for "Best International Recording of the Year" in 1994.[6][12]
  • Vasily Kalinnikov. Symphonies Nos. 1 and 2. National Symphony Orchestra of Ukraine; Theodore Kuchar, conductor. Naxos, 1995.
  • Sergei Prokofiev. Symphonies Nos. 3 and 7. National Symphony Orchestra of Ukraine; Theodore Kuchar, conductor. Naxos, 1995.
  • Sergei Prokofiev. Symphony No. 5; The Year 1941 (Symphonic Suite). National Symphony Orchestra of Ukraine; Theodore Kuchar, conductor. Naxos, 1995.
  • Sergei Prokofiev. Symphony No. 6, Op. 111; Waltzes, Op. 110. National Symphony Orchestra of Ukraine; Theodore Kuchar, conductor. Naxos, 1995.
  • Sergei Prokofiev. Symphonies No. 1 "Classical"; No. 2; Dreams, Op. 6; Autumnal Sketch, Op. 8. National Symphony Orchestra of Ukraine; Theodore Kuchar, conductor. Naxos, 1996.
  • Benjamin Lees. Symphony No. 4 "Memorial Candles." Kimball Wheeler, mezzo-soprano; James Buswell, violin; National Symphony Orchestra of Ukraine; Theodore Kuchar, conductor. Naxos, 1998.
  • Walter Piston. Violin Concertos Nos. 1 and 2; Fantasia for Violin and Orchestra. James Buswell, violin; National Symphony Orchestra of Ukraine; Theodore Kuchar, conductor. Naxos, 1998. This was named a "Record of the Year" for 1999 by Gramophone in January 2000.[6][22]
  • Sergei Prokofiev. Symphony No. 4, Op. 112; The Prodigal Son (Suite). National Symphony Orchestra of Ukraine; Theodore Kuchar, conductor. Naxos, 1999.
  • George Antheil. Symphony No. 4, Symphony No. 6, McKonkey's Ferry. National Symphony Orchestra of Ukraine; Theodore Kuchar, conductor. Naxos, 2000.
  • Paul Creston. Symphonies Nos. 1-3. National Symphony Orchestra of Ukraine; Theodore Kuchar, conductor. Naxos, 2000.
  • Morton Gould. American Ballads; Foster Gallery; American Salute. National Symphony Orchestra of Ukraine; Theodore Kuchar, conductor. Naxos, 2000.
  • Richard Toensing. Flute Concertos; Of Angels and Shepherds. For the flute concertos: Leone Buyse, flute; National Symphony of Ukraine; Theodore Kuchar, conductor. CRI, 2001.
  • Roy Harris. Symphonies Nos. 7 and 9. National Symphony Orchestra of Ukraine; Theodore Kuchar, conductor. Naxos, 2002.
  • Modest Mussorgsky. Pictures at an Exhibition; Night on the Bare Mountain. National Symphony Orchestra of Ukraine; Theodore Kuchar, conductor. Naxos, 2003.
  • George Whitefield Chadwick. Symphony No. 2; Symphonic Sketches. National Symphony Orchestra of Ukraine; Theodore Kuchar, conductor. Naxos, 2005.
  • Bedřich Smetana. Má Vlast; Complete Orchestral Works. Janáček Philharmonic Orchestra; Theodore Kuchar, conductor. Brilliant Classics, 2007.

References
  1. Great Prokofievans: Theodore Kuchar. Archived 2011-01-05 at the Wayback Machine Accessed 1 August 2011.
  2. Smindak, Helen. Holiday Happenings in the Big Apple. The Ukrainian Weekly, 2 January 1994, page 8. Accessed 1 August 2011.
  3. Bradley, Jeff. Kuchar Planning an Ambitious Year at Boulder Phil. Denver Post, 1 September 1997.
  4. Witcher, T.R. An Unharmonious Ending. PeakArts Founder Karen Romeo May Be a Victim of the Boulder Arts Community's Haughty Ego. Westword (Denver, Colorado), 22 June 2000. Accessed 1 August 2011.
  5. Kent/Blossom Music, Kent State University. Biography of Kent/Blossom Music Conductor, Theodore Kuchar. Accessed 1 August 2011.
  6. Price Rubin & Partners. Theodore Kuchar - Conductor. Archived 2011-09-27 at the Wayback Machine Accessed 7 August 2011.
  7. Duckett, Richard. Peripatetic conductor: Globe-Trotting Kuchar Brings the Czech Symphony Orchestra to Worcester. Telegram & Gazette (Worcester, Massachusetts), 25 January 2009. Accessed 1 August 2011.
  8. Makes Good in Capetown. The Ukrainian Weekly, 10 April 1983, page 11. Accessed 1 August 2011.
  9. 2010 Theodore Kuchar Scholarship. Archived 2011-09-30 at the Wayback Machine High Notes (Australian Festival of Chamber Music newsletter), Summer 2011. Accessed 1 August 2011.
  10. Townsville City Council. Theodore Kuchar Scholarship for Excellence in Music. Archived 2011-08-30 at the Wayback Machine Accessed 1 August 2011.
  11. Scholarship Opportunity for Young Orchestral Musicians. Magnetic Times (Magnetic Island), 4 July 2008. Accessed 1 August 2011.
  12. National Symphony Orchestra of Ukraine. History of Orchestra. Accessed 1 August 2011.
  14. Kuchar to Leave Boulder Post. Archived 2012-07-24 at Archive.today Denver Musicians Association, 23 Nov 2004. Accessed 1 August 2011.
  15. Boulder Philharmonic Timeline. Daily Camera (Boulder, Colorado), 5 October 2007. Accessed 1 August 2011.
  16. Munro, Donald. Complexities, discord revealed as Kuchar leaves Fresno Philharmonic The Fresno Bee, 22 May 2016. Accessed 11 April 2018.
  17. Kuchar Named Music Director of Reno Chamber Orchestra. The Ukrainian Weekly, 18 May 2003. Accessed 7 August 2011.
  18. Kent/Blossom Music, Kent State University. Theodore Kuchar - Resident Conductor. Archived 2010-07-03 at the Wayback Machine Accessed 1 August 2011.
  19. Reno Chamber Orchestra. Theodore Kuchar. Archived 2011-06-17 at the Wayback Machine Accessed 7 August 2011.
  20. Janáček Philharmonic Orchestra Ostrava. Archived 2011-07-18 at the Wayback Machine Accessed 1 August 2011.
  21. Munro, Donald. Fresno Phil's Kuchar Adds Another Post to his Portfolio. Archived 2011-10-07 at the Wayback Machine Fresno Bee, 2 February 2011. Accessed 1 August 2011.
  22. Critic's Choice: Ivan March. Gramophone, January 2000, page 44. Accessed 1 August 2011.
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