- December 21, 2025
- 6:56 pm
- Israel
One of the most famous symphony orchestras of Ukraine — Lords of the Sound — is coming to Israel in January 2026 (Jerusalem, Tel Aviv, Haifa, Ashkelon) with a series of impressive programs that have been filling halls across Europe for many years. Founded in 2014 by Andrey Novatorov, the ensemble is renowned for combining symphonic classics, Ukrainian folk instruments, and cinematic sound, turning each concert into a vibrant musical show.
In many of the orchestra’s programs, classical symphonic music is seamlessly combined with arrangements, cinematic themes, and original works with a folkloric sound.
Thanks to this synthesis, Lords of the Sound have become cultural ambassadors of modern Ukraine, presenting a country whose music unites ancient traditions and modern sound to the world.
The orchestra will bring four major programs to Israel: “Harry’s Magic Symphony“, “The Music of Hans Zimmer“, “Lord of the Rings in Concert“, and a new anime show from the project 38 SAMURAI. The Israeli audience will see the orchestra in full composition, with soloists, choir, visual effects, and special stage productions. The orchestra’s musical team consists of 52 people,
A musical style recognizable from the first note
Lords of the Sound have long become ambassadors of modern Ukrainian culture in Europe. From the very beginning, Lords of the Sound have carried the mission to show that symphonic music can be modern, emotional, and close to every listener, without losing the depth of the Ukrainian orchestral school. This school is known for its expressiveness, ensemble precision, and special sound color, formed over generations.
A distinctive feature of the orchestra is the use of authentic Ukrainian folk instruments in symphonic arrangements. Among them: bandura, cymbals, kobza, lyre, flute, trembita, ocarina, drymba, surma, bagpipes, basol, and torban — each with its own history, construction, and unique performance technique.
These instruments require special skills and a deep understanding of traditional Ukrainian intonation and phrasing. Their performance is not just a technique but a part of cultural heritage that is not taught or practiced in music schools worldwide.
Programs to be brought to Israel
«Harry’s Magic Symphony»
«Harry’s Magic Symphony» immerses the audience in the world of Harry Potter through live performances of the best musical themes from all the films. The concert combines symphonic sound, soloists, choir, light effects, and visual projections, creating an atmosphere of magic.
The audience follows a familiar path — from platform 9¾ and the appearance of Hogwarts to the climactic battles. The music of Williams, Doyle, Hooper, and Desplat is revealed anew thanks to the orchestra’s voluminous sound.
Visual installations replicate the atmosphere of forests, castles, and magical scenes, enhancing the effect of presence.
The program is suitable for audiences of all ages and makes the concert a true theater of emotions, where music and magic merge into a single show.
«The Music of Hans Zimmer»
This program opens the world of Hans Zimmer — a composer who changed film music. Themes from «Interstellar», «Gladiator», «Dune», «The Dark Knight», «Inception», «Pirates of the Caribbean», and other films are performed on stage.
The orchestral performance shows the depth of Zimmer’s scores: powerful brass, expressive strings, dramatic percussion. The audience hears details that remain hidden in the cinema.
Visual direction supports the dynamics of the music and creates an atmosphere of movement, light, and tension.
This is an emotional show where music becomes a narrative — from quiet, intimate themes to epic climaxes.
«Lord of the Rings in Concert»
Howard Shore’s music comes alive in concert performance, creating the effect of a complete journey through Middle-earth. Themes of hobbits, elves, Rohan, and Mordor are conveyed through the power of the orchestra, choir, and soloists.
Warm melodies of the Shire are replaced by majestic elven harmonies and dark rhythms of the dark lands. Lighting solutions convey the atmosphere of each world — from the green tones of the Shire to the cold shades of Mordor and Gondor.
The program provides a deep emotional immersion into Tolkien’s legend and turns music into a separate epic action.
«Anime Sympho-Show» (38 SAMURAI)
«Anime Sympho-Show» is a bright symphonic show created by the project 38 SAMURAI. Soundtracks from Naruto, One Piece, Attack on Titan, Evangelion, Demon Slayer, Death Note, Tokyo Ghoul, and other iconic anime are performed on stage.
38 musicians, a rock band, choir, and soloists create a powerful sound that combines symphony and the drive of the modern scene.
Visual effects use the aesthetics of Japanese animation: dynamic colors, flashes, montage transitions — all of this enhances the immersion effect.
The program is suitable for both anime fans and those discovering this music for the first time. It is a spectacular and emotional concert in the style of symphonic crossover.
The history of the Lords of the Sound orchestra
Foundation and concept
The symphony orchestra Lords of the Sound was founded in 2014 by producer Andrey Novatorov, who conceived the project back in 2012. Working with a theater in Bila Tserkva, he noticed that the local orchestra was idle. Being a fan of film music, Novatorov proposed creating an ensemble that would play soundtracks and music from films and video games — a direction almost unrepresented on the academic stage.
The goal was to combine cinematic music and symphonic art, attract a new audience, and show that film music can sound just as powerful in a concert hall.
The first program was «100% Soundtrack Hits» (2014), where due to a lack of material, works by Bach and Beethoven were added. Despite initial difficulties, the orchestra quickly attracted public attention and began gaining popularity in Ukraine and beyond.
Growth and international development
Gradually, the ensemble turned into an international project, where besides musicians, sound engineers, designers, and video engineers work. After the first successes, the orchestra expanded its touring geography: Ukraine, Poland, Czech Republic, Baltic countries, Germany, Italy, France, Spain, Israel, and other countries.
Significant performances took place in Kyiv:
- March 3, 2018 — the first solo concert of the symphony orchestra in the Palace of Sports (full house),
- March 30, 2018 — a full house in the Palace «Ukraine».
These concerts cemented the status of Lords of the Sound as a phenomenon of the Ukrainian scene.
Repertoire and creative evolution
Since 2014, the orchestra has created about 20 thematic programs, simultaneously maintaining 6–7 active ones. Besides film shows, the ensemble experimented: programs with ballet, projects with an academic choir, symphonic rock, cross-over productions.
In 2024, the program «Electro Symphony» started, where classical instruments are combined with electronic music. For the orchestra, it is fundamentally important that technology complements, rather than replaces, live sound.
Musical directors and soloists
Many of the orchestra’s programs are prepared under the direction of conductor Shahrokh Fathizadeh, a musician of Iranian origin, who created original arrangements, including music by Hans Zimmer.
Ukrainian conductor Nazar Yakobenchuk also works with the ensemble, leading part of the foreign tours.
The vocal part is an important component of the show. Among the soloists:
- countertenor Yaroslav Radionenko (famous for performing the Diva’s aria from «The Fifth Element»),
- soloists Yaroslava Taran and Margarita Meleshko.
For some projects, special video sequences are created, turning concerts into full-fledged visual productions.
International achievements
Today, the orchestra’s repertoire includes more than 300 works: film soundtracks, music from games, original compositions, classics, and jazz. Lords of the Sound give dozens of concerts across Europe, including large-scale tours:
- about 60 performances in France,
- about 30 in Germany, — all with full houses.
In 2025–2026, the orchestra is going on tour in the USA for the first time, including a debut at the legendary Town Hall in New York.
Critics note that the ensemble managed to turn a symphonic concert into a modern emotional show, maintaining high performance quality. The combination of symphony, rock, electronic music, video direction, and effects has become the key to international success, but at the center of performances is always live music.
The role of the orchestra in supporting Ukraine since 2022
When explosions were heard over Ukraine again in February 2022, the orchestra Lords of the Sound did not disappear. On the contrary — it seemed to gather strength. Their stage, which was once just a place for soundtracks, turned into a space where they speak about the war not with slogans, but with music. And this is heard from the first notes.
By spring of that year, they were already standing on European stages — Warsaw, Prague, Riga, Berlin. Sometimes in large theaters, sometimes at solidarity events outdoors. Zimmer’s music, Howard Shore’s themes, which everyone knows from movies, suddenly sounded different: more collected, sharper. Many evenings were held as charity events — funds were sent to refugees, Ukrainian volunteers, those who needed help here and now. Each concert became a small diplomatic mission, where instead of long explanations — emotions and flags on the musicians’ shoulders.
Almost immediately, Ukrainian works were included in the repertoire. Sometimes it was a folk melody, sometimes a modern patriotic song, sometimes music by Ukrainian composers. At each concert, at least one Ukrainian piece is performed — this is how the orchestra introduces the world to a culture many hear for the first time. Soloist Yaroslav Radionenko has repeatedly told audiences: «Music can no longer be outside politics». And the audience understood this.
At the same time, charity grew. In 2022–2023, part of the tours was conducted in a fundraising format — people brought donations, and a share of the concert profits went to support the Ukrainian army and humanitarian projects. At festivals and telethons dedicated to Ukraine, the orchestra performed alongside artists who helped the country from the first day of the war. These were not just performances — rather, moments when the hall turned into one big family.
The Ukrainian diaspora especially supported them. At concerts in France, Lithuania, Latvia, Germany, people who have lived abroad for a long time and those who left Ukraine during the war came.
Halls were filled with embroidered shirts, flags, children’s drawings. After performances, people approached the musicians, thanked them for the feeling of home — even if just for two hours, but home.
In Ukraine itself, the orchestra performed where it was safe: before soldiers, medics, displaced persons. They played for those living amid alarms and forced relocations. Several concerts were organized specifically for volunteers — people who unloaded humanitarian aid for days but still came to listen to music, just to catch their breath.
In 2022, the ensemble recorded several patriotic video messages — symphonic versions of Ukrainian songs that spread on social networks as short musical letters of hope.
And then — tours again. In 2023–2024, Lords of the Sound covered almost all of Europe: from small towns to large venues like Arena Riga, from theaters in the Baltics to prestigious halls in France and Germany. Many concerts were sold out — full halls, standing ovations, dozens of countries where Ukraine sounds through music.
Ahead is a new step: the first tour in the USA in 2025, including performances at legendary venues where Ukrainian orchestras have rarely reached. And in every hall — from Riga to Los Angeles — it all starts the same way: a short pause, the conductor’s glance at the musicians, a breath… and a quiet but distinct
«Glory to Ukraine».
Today, the orchestra has become not just an ensemble, but the voice of the country. Their music is a weapon that unites instead of destroying. Their stage is part of Ukrainian resistance. And as long as instruments sound in their hands, the world will hear the story of Ukraine: alive, stubborn, bright.
Tickets and concert schedule in Israel (January 2026)
10.01 — Jerusalem, “Sherover” Hall — The Lord of the Rings in Concert
11.01 — Haifa, Teatron ha-Tzafon — The Music of Hans Zimmer
12.01 — Haifa, Teatron ha-Tzafon — Anime
13.01 — Haifa, Teatron ha-Tzafon — Harry’s Magic Symphony
14.01 — Jerusalem, “Usishkin” Hall — Harry’s Magic Symphony
15.01 — Jerusalem, “Usishkin” Hall — The Music of Hans Zimmer
16.01 — Tel Aviv, “Smolarsh” — The Lord of the Rings in Concert
17.01 — Tel Aviv, “Smolarsh” — Anime
18.01 — Ashkelon, Cultural Center — The Music of Hans Zimmer
19.01 — Tel Aviv, Bronfman Auditorium — The Music of Hans Zimmer
20.01 — Tel Aviv, Bronfman Auditorium — Harry’s Magic Symphony
Tickets can already be purchased on the orchestra’s Israeli tour website:
The musical power that unites cultures
Lords of the Sound carry the Ukrainian orchestral tradition around the world and create programs that resonate with audiences of all ages. Their Israeli tour is an opportunity to hear live music created with great love for art and respect for the audience.
January promises to be a truly symphonic month — bright, emotional, and full of magic.
NAnews News of Israel Nikk.Agency
