EDMOND—The National Symphony Orchestra of Ukraine’s 80 performers played iconic orchestral works for Armstrong Auditorium guests on March 9. A total of 677 patrons listened to a program that included an overture and a symphony by Antonin Dvorak and a piano concerto by Sergei Prokofiev that featured Ukrainian-born pianist Alexei Grynyuk.

The orchestra opened with the Carnival Overture. The exuberant one-movement overture was one of three composed by Dvorak in 1892, each with its own theme: nature, life and love. The Carnival Overture represents life. Immediately after the orchestra leapt into the piece, one patron whispered, “I love the acoustics—very distinct.” The loud introduction featured high, rapid strings, and the piece fully utilized the percussion section, particularly spotlighting the triangle and the tambourine.

Pianist Alexei Grynyuk joined the orchestra for Sergei Prokofiev’s Concerto No. 3. The piece, on which Prokofiev labored for nearly a decade (1913–1921), started out slowly with the winds, which were joined by the strings before a speedy acceleration into the pianist’s entrance. The piano part showcased fast and rhythmically challenging runs and frenetic jumps up and down the piano. After the first movement, Grynyuk wiped away sweat from his brow before beginning the calmer second movement. In the quiet parts of the second movement, Grynyuk seemed to put care into every note, traipsing around the upper register of the Steinway concert grand. When Grynyuk hit his last notes in the third movement, his arms shot back from the piano in a dramatic flourish, and he looked thoroughly worn out from the piece.

“The pianist was absolutely incredible, very talented,” one regular visitor, who is also a pianist, said during intermission. She also said that the Steinway pianos at Armstrong Auditorium are “absolutely fantastic.”

After intermission, the orchestra delivered the much anticipated New World Symphony. Several patrons said they had come specifically to hear this piece. One of Dvorak’s greatest masterpieces, the symphony was his attempt to prove to American composers that they should develop an American style based on Afro-American and Native Indian styles. Parts of the piece, particularly in the second and third movements, are thought to be inspired by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow’s poem, Hiawatha. Other sections are more clearly influenced by Dvorak’s Czechian background. All the movements switched cleverly back and forth between brisk, booming sections, and soft, sweet melodies. The rambunctious fourth movement excited many in the audience.

“I had goosebumps the entire last movement,” one staff member said. Armstrong International Cultural Foundation marketing director Shane Granger added, “The brass was on fire!”

A lengthy applause compelled the orchestra to play an encore: Mykola Lysenko’s overture to his opera Taras Bulba.

A first-time visitor said he could not imagine topping this concert experience, saying, “It would be hard to beat tonight. This is like starting at the top of the mountain.” Another patron remarked, “I was hoping the program would be as good as the venue, and it was.”

One guest said that, other than the inability to order a glass of wine, he considered the auditorium to be “the greatest venue in the world.” Another said it was “like nothing else you can see anywhere in this part of the country.” One patron was heard saying “I feel like royalty!” as she walked through the halls.

Formed in 1918 by the Ukrainian Council of Ministers, the National Symphony Orchestra of Ukraine is considered to be one of the greatest orchestras in Eastern Europe. Soloists such as Arthur Rubinstein, Isaac Stern, Yehudi Menuhin, Emil Gilels, and Sviatoslav Richter have performed with the orchestra, which has also premiered the works of composers including Prokofiev and Dmitri Shostakovich. It has produced 100 recordings since 1993, two of which have been nominated for Grammy Awards. In 2001, chief conductor and artistic director Volodymyr Sirenko won the Shevchenko National Prize, Ukraine’s most prestigious award. He has held his position in the National Symphony Orchestra since 1999. Armstrong Auditorium was the orchestra’s first stop on a two-month, 40-concert tour of the U.S.

Piano soloist Alexei Grynyuk began appearing in concert at age 6 and was touring Eastern Europe with Ukrainian orchestras by 13, the age at which he also won the Sergei Diaghilev All-Soviet-Union piano competition in Moscow. Later, he won first prize at the Vladimir Horowitz International Piano Competition in Kiev and the Shanghai International Piano Competition in China.

The 2016–2017 Armstrong International Cultural Foundation concert series finishes on April 27 with the Eroica Trio.