Stefan Turchak

Stefan Vasylovych Turchak (Ukrainian: Стефан Турчак; February 28, 1938 – October 23, 1988) was an outstanding Ukrainian conductor, People's Artist of the USSR (1977) and a Laureate of the Shevchenko National Prize. Stefan Turchak was born in the village of Maćkowice, which is now Subcarpathian Voivodeship in Poland. He grew up in Dubliany.

In 1955, Stefan graduated from Filaret Kolessa Lviv Music and Pedagogical School. After that, he worked as a teacher of music and sang at the Sokal Pedagogical School. Then he organized a choir, which became famous in Sokal region for its performance of folk songs, and the girls' ensemble, which in 1957 even performed on the Kyiv stage.

From 1957 Turchak studied at Lviv Conservatory (conducting class of Mykola Kolessa), which he successfully finished in 1962.

Between 1960 and 1962 he was a conductor of the Solomiya Krushelnytska Lviv State Academic Theatre of Opera and Ballet.

From 1963 to 1966 and 1973 to 1977 he was a chief conductor of the National Symphony Orchestra of the Ukrainian SSR, from 1967 to 1973 and from 1977 - of the Kyiv Opera and Ballet Theater.

Since 1966 Stefan Turchak was head of the symphony orchestra and head of the Department of Opera and Symphony Conducting of the Kyiv Conservatory (since 1973 - Associate Professor).

He lived in Kyiv and died on October 23, 1988. Stefan Turchak was buried in Baikove Cemetery. The author of his tombstone was the sculptor Valentyn Znoba.