Kyiv Days are here; Chicago Jazz and Blues to wail in Kyiv; Soviet Rock legend Kuzmin coming
of the year's most grand holidays – will still be marked with a burst of outdoor activity. This year's celebration, which is supposed to be the best yet, will include martial arts, tennis, a bike competition, a regatta and a running race. Aside from these active pursuits there will also be rock and folk concerts, art exhibitions and the opening of a book museum. The downside of all the festivities is crowds, traffic jams and lots of broken glass.
May 27
Millennium Bells. Opening of St. Michael's Golden Domed Cathedral. Mykhailivska ploshcha. 11 a.m.
Bike Competition. Maidan Nezalezhnosti. 11 a.m.
International Juniors Tennis Tournament. Nauka court. 10 a.m.
Dytyachy Tsvitogray. Art holiday for children. Teatralna ploshcha. Noon
Opening of the Books and Publishing Museum. 2 p.m.
Blues Under the Chestnuts. Hydropark Green Theater. 5 p.m.-10:30 p.m.
Rock concert. Maidan Nezalezhnosti. 6 p.m.-10 p.m.
May 28
Under the Chestnuts, road race. Maidan Nezalezhnosti. 10 a.m.
Bike Competition. Holosiyiv Rim. 11 a.m.
Regatta, yacht show. Central River Terminal. Noon
Kickboxing tournament. Arc of Friendship. 6 p.m.
Celebration of Beauty, show and concert. Yevropeiska ploshcha. 5 p.m.-10:30 p.m.
Ancient and Eternal Kyiv. Folk concert. Spivoche Pole, Pecherska Lavra park. 6 p.m.-10:30 p.m.
Blues Under the Chestnuts. Hydropark Green Theater. 5 p.m.-10:30 p.m.
On the Turn of Centuries, theatrical show. Maidan Nezalezhnosti. 8 p.m.-10 p.m.
Fireworks. Maidan Nezalezhnosti, 10 p.m. Spivoche Pole, 10:30 p.m.
Chicago Jazz and Blues
Chicago-style Jazz and Blues players Orbert Davis and Lin Jordan will perform at the International Culture and Arts Center (Zhovtnevy Palace) on May 26.
Chicago mainstream jazz trumpet star Orbert Davis has won several national competitions in the United States. Jazz critics say that in terms of unbridled trumpet power, Orbert Davis has little competition in Chicago. Davis has a unique style that often hops the genre boundary between jazz and classical. His style is no doubt the result of his studying at Northwestern University, whose music department is better known for turning out classical musicians than jazz musicians.
Davis was previously a member of Bill Russo's Chicago Jazz Ensemble and has played in the pit band of a number of productions.
Chicago Jazz and Blues. Zhovtnevy Palace. May 26, 7 p.m. Tickets from Hr 50.
Soviet Rock legend Kuzmin plays in Kyiv
Soviet legend Vladimir Kuzmin will give a concert at Red and Black. The word is that Kuzmin owes his success to publicity about his affair with the pop diva Alla Pugachova. But Kuzmin wrote popular good-quality music before and after his affair with Alla.
Kuzmin was one of the first Soviet rockers to use elements of jazz, reggae and new wave in his music. His songs focused more on romance than social rebellion. Kuzmin's band Dinamik, which was formed in 1982, is still popular. Kuzmin recently released several hits including “Sibirskie Morozy.”
Vladimir Kuzmin. Red and Black. May 26, 11 p.m. Tickets Hr 110-Hr 490.
Open door music festival
Starting this weekend and lasting until the end of July, Ukraine's best musicians will be playing classics on the weekends at Mariyinsky Park's Summer Theater. The concerts are part of Kyiv Summer Musical Evenings Festival, which starts on May 26.
The festival will open with the National Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Volodymyr Sirenko and prize winners of the International Contest of Young Pianists. It will end on July 29-30.
Kyiv Summer Musical Evenings. Open Door Theater in Mariyinsky Park. Opening May 26, 7 p.m., free entrance.
