National Philharmonic of Ukraine

Standing at the end of Khreshchatyk street near the European Square, it has hosted numerous Russian composers such as Sergei Rachmaninoff, Alexander Scriabin, and Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky and famous opera singers like Leonid Sobinov and Feodor Chaliapin.

At the end of the nineteenth century, Kyiv, at the time the leading commercial center in the south-west of the Russian Empire, flourished in its cultural development.

The building rapidly gained recognition among Kyiv residents and became the center for cultural gatherings where society held masquerade balls, science and political conferences, charitable lotteries, and literary evenings.

The history of the Merchants' House has been greatly affected by the Ukrainian composer, pianist and conductor Mykola Lysenko.

Today, the Lysenko Colonnaded Hall of the Philharmonic remains one of the two most prestigious classical music stages in the city (along with the Kyiv Opera).

The Symphony Orchestra of the National Philharmonic of Ukraine was found in September, 1995, under the leadership of Leonid Tykhonov.