Mykola Lysenko, a prominent figure in Ukrainian classical music, is known for enriching and bringing the country's musical heritage to global recognition. He was born into a noble family with Cossack roots on March 22, 1842, in the Poltava region. Although he received a degree in Natural Sciences from Kyiv University in 1865, Lysenko's passion for music led him to dedicate his life to it. He collected and refined Ukrainian folk songs and composed music for "Kobzar," the renowned literary work of Taras Shevchenko. Lysenko honed his musical skills at the Leipzig Conservatory under acclaimed teachers such as Moscheles, Reinecke, Wenzel, and Richter. He furthered his training at the Petersburg Conservatory under the guidance of the world-renowned Rimsky-Korsakov. Lysenko's professional pursuits included composing, performing, and conducting concerts. He wrote numerous significant works, including suites, quartets, trios, concert waltzes, polonaises, sonatas, and his First Piano Rhapsody. Returning to Kyiv after his studies, Lysenko, along with his cousin Michael Starytsky, founded the Ukrainian Musical Theatre. They wrote operas such as "Chornomortzi," "Christmas Night," and "Natalka Poltavka," and Lysenko's monumental-heroic opera "Taras Bul’ba." He also conducted "choral travels" across Ukraine and wrote cantatas like "Rapids are Raging," "Be Pleased O Not Watered Cornfield," and "Ivan Gus," and founded the Music Drama School using the money earned during his 35-year career. In his final years, Lysenko wrote his most significant works, including the opera "Sapfo," the cantata "To the 50th Anniversary of T. Shevchenko’s Passing," and cherished spiritual choral works such as "Cherubs’ Song" and "Great and Indivisible God." He died with uncompleted plans on November 6, 1912.
