Volodymyr Sheiko is an Ukrainian conductor and a leading figure in the country’s musical life. He has held the position of chief conductor and artistic director of the Ukrainian Radio Symphony Orchestra since 2005.
Under his leadership, the Orchestra has gained wide international recognition through 48 tours across Europe, Asia, and the Middle East, performing in 19 countries and appearing at many of the world’s most prestigious concert venues.
These years have been marked by an exceptionally rich artistic activity: innovative programmes, recordings, international concert tours, original musical projects and festivals, as well as performances on Ukraine’s main stages. The audience is always delighted by their performances. As a result, the Ukrainian Radio Symphony Orchestra is one of the most renowned orchestras in Ukraine.
Together with the Orchestra, Volodymyr Sheiko has made over 500 recordings of masterpieces of world and Ukrainian music for the National Radio Fund. These recordings have received critical acclaim and have been repeatedly broadcast by EBU radio stations.
Volodymyr Sheiko actively promotes contemporary music, particularly Ukrainian, and has been the first performer of numerous works by modern Ukrainian composers.
With the Ukrainian Radio Symphony Orchestra, he has toured in 17 countries worldwide, including South Korea, Hong Kong, China, Italy, Switzerland, France, Spain, Portugal, the Netherlands, Luxembourg, Belgium, Romania, Poland, the United Arab Emirates, Iran, Algeria, and Tunisia.
He has conducted at many of the world’s leading concert venues, including the Konzerthaus Wien (Austria); Concertgebouw, Amsterdam (Netherlands); Queen Elisabeth Hall, Antwerp (Belgium); Arena Sferisterio, Macerata; Teatro Carlo Felice, Genoa; Teatro Petruzzelli, Bari; Teatro Ponchielli, Cremona; Teatro Luciano Pavarotti, Modena; Teatro Romano, Ascoli Piceno; Teatro Politeama Garibaldi, Palermo; Auditorium Manzoni, Bologna; Teatro Gesualdo, Avellino (Italy); Stadtcasino Basel (Switzerland); Auditorio Nacional de Música and Teatro Monumental, Madrid; Palau de la Música Catalana, Barcelona; Auditorio de Zaragoza; Teatro Principal, Zaragoza (Spain); Casa da Música and Coliseu do Porto, Porto; Coliseu dos Recreios, Lisbon (Portugal); Nimes Colosseum and Vienne Roman Theater (France); the National Philharmonic, Warsaw (Poland); National Opera Houses in Bucharest, Timișoara, and Iași (Romania); Algerian National Theatre, Palace “Moufdi Zakaria”, Algiers Opera House (Algeria); Seoul City Hall (South Korea); El Jem Coliseum, Cartage Amphitheater, Tunisian National Opera House (Tunisia); Hong Kong City Hall; Beijing National Philharmonic (China); Dubai Opera (United Arab Emirates) and many others.
Volodymyr Sheiko is actively involved in the international festival movement. He is a regular guest at major contemporary music festivals in Ukraine, including Kyiv Music Fest and Musical Premieres of the Season. He has also participated in numerous international festivals in Italy, Spain, Croatia, Belgium, Algeria, and Tunisia, including the Macerata Opera Festival, Zagreb Classic, the International Festival at the Abbey of Villers, the International Symphony Festival of Algiers, and the International Music Festival of Tunis.
Earlier in his career, he organised the annual international art festival “Meetings at Easter” (Kyiv, Ukraine), co-organised the “Tenoratorio” festival (Solothurn, Switzerland), and participated in the opening of VERDIANO-2001 in Busseto, Italy.
Volodymyr Sheiko’s artistic focus is centred on large-scale musical forms such as symphonies, operas, oratorios, and concert works. He is also deeply interested in the visualisation of symphonic music and incorporates this concept whenever technically possible.
During his tenure with the Ukrainian Radio Symphony Orchestra, he initiated several joint serial music projects with Ukrainian Radio and National Television, including ArtStories, RadioSymphony_UA, Symphonic Mainstream, and Message from Ukraine, which have become significant contributions to Ukrainian culture.
An artist of exceptional versatility and breadth, renowned for his refined interpretations, Volodymyr Sheiko has established himself as one of the outstanding conductors of his generation, demonstrating remarkable musical depth and integrity.
He graduated from the National Music Academy of Ukraine.
His teachers were prominent Ukrainian conductors – Stefan Turchak, chief conductor of the National Opera of Ukraine, Lev Venediktov, chief choirmaster of the National Opera of Ukraine, as well as Fuat Mansurov, conductor of the Bolshoi Theater.
He is currently a professor of opera and symphonic conducting at the National Music Academy of Ukraine and a Corresponding Member of the National Academy of Arts of Ukraine.
Volodymyr Sheiko is the recipient of Ukraine’s highest state honours in the field of arts, including the Taras Shevchenko National Prize of Ukraine, the title of People’s Artist of Ukraine, the Order of Merit and the Order of St. Volodymyr.
