Mission Ukraine – Partner of the World Premiere of Opera Creonte
On October 3, 2025, Chernivtsi celebrated a landmark cultural event — the world premiere of Dmytro Bortniansky’s opera Creonte. The performance took place on the stage of the Chernivtsi Academic Music and Drama Theatre named after Olha Kobylianska.
Mission Ukraine Charity Organization proudly joined the project as a partner, supporting an initiative that revives Ukraine’s cultural heritage and promotes Ukrainian art worldwide.
Reviving a Lost Masterpiece
Dmytro Bortniansky composed Creonte in 1776 in Italy. Marco Coltellini wrote the libretto, inspired by Sophocles’ Antigone. For over 250 years, the opera remained lost until researchers rediscovered and reconstructed it.
After a concert premiere in 2024 under UNESCO’s auspices, Chernivtsi became the first city to stage Creonte in full theatrical form. The production formed part of the project “Bringing Back to the World Dmytro Bortniansky’s First Opera ‘Creonte’,” which united artists, scholars, and patrons of the arts.
A Unique Event in the Heart of Bukovyna
The premiere radiated inspiration and symbolism. It coincided with Chernivtsi City Day and the 120th anniversary of the Olha Kobylianska Theatre.
More than 50 performers joined the production — soloists, a choir, and an orchestra from the theatre and the regional philharmonic. The team performed in Italian with Ukrainian subtitles. Herman Makarenko, People’s Artist of Ukraine and conductor of the National Opera of Ukraine, directed the performance.
An air raid alert briefly interrupted the show, but the audience soon returned. The finale ended with minutes of thunderous applause. A live broadcast on Theatre Square allowed hundreds of residents to experience the opera outdoors.
A Shared Mission of Cultural Revival
For Mission Ukraine, participation in Creonte meant more than partnership. It embodied our commitment to preserving and renewing Ukraine’s cultural identity, a mission especially meaningful during wartime.
We sincerely thank the project team, the Chernivtsi Drama Theatre, Maestro Herman Makarenko, all the artists, and the audience for creating a performance that united heritage, modernity, and faith in the triumph of culture over darkness.
Mission Ukraine will continue to support cultural projects that revive Ukrainian art and strengthen our nation’s voice on the global stage.