Oleksandr Semchuk

Oleksandr Semchuk began studying violin at 4 years old with Maestro I. Pylatiuk, giving his first violin concerto accompanied by the orchestra at 8. This was the early beginning of a brilliant career. His world-renowned teachers were violinists such as Bohodar Kotorovych, Yehudi Menuhin, Tibor Varga, Viktor Tretiakov and Alberto Lysy.

He began winning international violin competitions at very early age. He won first prizes in several important violin competitions, such as the prestigious “Youth Assembly of Art” di Mosca (coveted by all musicians of the former Soviet Union), the “Mykola Lysenko International Competition” (Ukraine) and “Award City of Gubbio” (Italy), to name a few.

Meanwhile, he started a brilliant career that brought him to give concerts all over the world, both in the solo repertoire as well as in the chamber music repertoire. He collaborates with such internationally renowed musicians such as B. Canino, R. Koelman, G. Fratta, V. Sirenko, A. Lucchesini, O. Mandozzi, M. Brunello, V. Kozhukhar, K. Bogino, M. Kugel, V. Mendelssohn, E. Baatarzhavyn, G. Mirabassi, M. Rysanov, M. Diadiura, O. Kogan, D. Cohen, B. Petrushansky, K. Karabitz, N. Eppinger, D. Shapovalov, A. Casellati, and many others. He has performed with most of the orchestras of the former Soviet Union.

As evidence of the great contribution offered to the Ukrainian nation as founder and promoter of the cultural project “Artists for the rebirth of Ukraine” the Ukrainian State awarded him with the title of Merited Artist of the Ukraine in 2002. Throughout the territory of the former Soviet Union, Oleksandr Semchuk is the youngest artist to be awarded the title of Honoured Knight of the State.

Semchuk lives in Italy since several years, where he has built up an intense teaching career, working at the Scuola di Musica di Fiesole and the Accademia Musicale di Firenze. Since 2010 he was invited to run the String instruments Department at the International Piano Academy “Incontri col Maestro” in Imola. The commitment made to date in teaching has been amply repaid by the over eighty first prizes won by his students in important international competitions, such as the Oistrakh International Competition (Moscow), Brahms International Competition (Pordschach), Monaco Master’s International Competition (Monaco), Kreisler International Competition (Vienna), to name a few. Among his former students there are leaders and member of major Orchestras (Orchestra Mozart, Orchestra San Carlo di Napoli, Imola Chamber Orchestra, Mahler J.O.), as well as violin teachers in Italian Conservatoires.

In 2014 the Ukrainian composer Eugen Stankovych composed and dedicated to Oleksandr Semchuk the trio “The Peace Prayer”, the World Premiere of which was performed in October 2014 in San Marino. Stankovych dedicated to Mr. Semchuk the Concerto-Suite for violin and Symphonic Orchestra in 2020, premiered in 2021 with the National Symphony Orchestra of Ukraine during the national tour for the 30th anniversary of the Ukraine’s independence.

In 2022 he took part to the concert “Ad Memoriam” dedicated to the Ukrainian heroes shot in 2014 by the Yanukovych regime during the “Uprising of Dignity”. The event, sponsored by the Italian Embassy and the Italian Cultural Center, was held at the National Philharmonic of Ukraine presenting a world premiere composition by the Italian composer Stefano Delle Donne “Piccola Suite Celeste” dedicated to the victims of the celestial centurion .

For the project “La musica unisce” designed for the #UkraineEmergency fundraising, he received the “International Good Practice Award” from News ReMind and the European Parliament’s Office for Italy and, together with his wife Ksenia Milas, the “Excellence” award from the Women’s Event Association.

Oleksandr Semchuk made several recordings: among them he recorded more than seven hours of music as soloist in the “Golden Collection of the Ukraine”, with contributions from the great solo repertoire including the Brahms, Tchaikovski and Sibelius Violin Concertos.

He regularly gives masterclasses at Royal College of Music in London, Paris Conservatory, and several Italian Conservatoires.

Mr. Semchuk is often jury member of international violin and chamber music competitions.

Oleksandr Semchuk plays a violin by Auguste Bernardel 1840 with the bow “White Lady” by Vera Navea.