National Union of Composers of Ukraine

National Union of Composers of Ukraine [Національна спілка композиторів України; Natsionalna spilka kompozytoriv Ukrainy]. An administrative and policy-making body of composers and musicologists established in 1932 to replace Proletmuz and the All-Ukrainian Society of Revolutionary Musicians. The association, originally called the Union of Soviet Composers and renamed Union of Composers of Ukraine in 1957, sought to ‘educate’ its members politically and ideologically and to support them in their creative work. In 1998 it was granted a national creative union status and assumed its current name. The union has been headed by such musical luminaries as Borys Liatoshynsky (1939–41), Lev Revutsky (1944–8), Hryhorii Verovka (1948–52), Pylyp Kozytsky (1952–6), Kostiantyn Dankevych (1956–67), Heorhii Maiboroda (1967–9), Andrii Shtoharenko (1968–89), Yevhen Stankovych (1990–93), Mykhailo Stepanenko (1993–2004), Myroslav Skoryk and Yevhen Stankovych (2004–2010), and Ihor Shcherbakov (2010–). The union administered the Ukrainian branch of the USSR Musical Foundation and supported the work of the Music Society of the Ukrainian SSR. It publishes (since 1970) the journal Muzyka. In 2008, the National Union of Composers of Ukraine had over 400 members.

[This article was updated in 2015.]