WINTER JAZZ DAY

WINTER JAZZ DAY

The Christmas carols have faded, the tree is still aglow, and the festive season shows no sign of ending. As part of the "Christmas Mirror" festival, the Mirror Hall of the Lviv Opera will transform into a winter jazz club on January 2nd. Here, "Shchedryk" (Carol of the Bells) will take on vibrant jazz hues, "Silent Night" will resonate with the mellow warmth of a saxophone, and the sleigh from "Sleigh Ride" will dash along to the rhythm of swing.

For forty years, the Kyiv Saxophone Quartet has demonstrated that four saxophones can sound like an entire orchestra—ranging from the velvety baritone to the radiant soprano. The ensemble boasts a repertoire of over 4,000 concerts, appearances at World Saxophone Congresses, and the "Crystal Lion" award from the International Jazz Competition in Lviv. Now, the musicians return with a Christmas program that is warm, sparkling, and—at times—decidedly unconventional for the holiday season.

The performance begins with beloved winter holiday melodies—works by Leontovych, Stetsenko, and Gruber, as well as Christmas suites by Holcombe. Then, the real jazz kicks in: improvisations, the fiery "A Night in Tunisia," and timeless classics like "My Favorite Things" and "Bésame Mucho." Interwoven among these will be the "Legends of the Carpathians."

...and the "Greek Suite," while the evening will conclude with the spirited "Mambo Time"—a piece that makes it hard to stay in your seat.

It is a Christmas fairy tale where mirrors reflect not only light but also the mood: festive, jazzy, and a little bit mischievous.

Kyiv Saxophone Quartet

Yurii Vasylevych, Director, Honored Artist of Ukraine, laureate of the M. V. Lysenko Prize (soprano saxophone)
Mykhailo Mymryk, People's Artist of Ukraine (alto saxophone)
Stanislav Nidzelskyi, laureate of international competitions (tenor saxophone)
Roman Fotuyma, laureate of the L. Revutskyi Prize and international competitions (baritone saxophone)

Program

M. Leontovych, arr. R. Pashynskyi: "Shchedryk" (Carol of the Bells)
K. Stetsenko, arr. Yu. Vasylevych: Three Christmas Songs
F. Gruber, arr. M. Magatan: "Silent Night"
B. Holcombe: Christmas Jazz Medley
M. Parish, L. Anderson: "Sleigh Ride"
arr. B. Holcombe: "Christmas Holidays" Suite
K. Garrett: Sing a Song of Song
F. Woods: Jazz Improvisation
Arr. I. Nehaus: "Favorite Christmas Melodies"
C. Velázquez: Bésame Mucho
D. Gillespie: A Night in Tunisia
R. Rodgers: My Favorite Things
S. Tsymbal: "Legends of the Carpathians"
P. Iturralde: Greek Suite
P. Pérez: "Mambo Time"