Only a few years after founding the New Era Orchestra in 2007, Tatiana Kalinichenko set out to build international bridges that would raise the orchestra’s profile far beyond Ukraine. Under her leadership, the orchestra welcomed world-renowned soloists such as Joshua Bell, Gautier Capuçon, Sarah Chang, Avi Avital, and Kit Armstrong. She also spearheaded Ukrainian premieres of works by contemporary composers including John Adams, Philip Glass, Michael Nyman, John Tavener, Max Richter, Avner Dorman, and Iannis Xenakis. She also made it a priority to showcase outstanding Ukrainian soloists and composers. Her clear vision and innovative approach drove the orchestra’s rapid growth. A milestone came in 2018, when their debut at the Septembre Musical Montreux & Vevey Festival marked the launch of an ambitious international development campaign.
Ms. Kalinichenko was born into the family of a military officer, she grew up moving between cities and countries. Yet two Ukrainian places proved pivotal: Odesa, where her parents met, and Chernivtsi, where in 1992 she encountered her conducting teacher, Andriy Kushnirenko. He recognized her gift and invested in shaping the young conductor—a mentorship without which her path to the podium might never have taken place. After graduating from the Petro Tchaikovsky National Music Academy of Ukraine in 2003, she served from 2004 to 2011 as a conductor with the National Presidential Orchestra and as guest conductor of the Dnipro Academic Opera and Ballet Theatre.
Many of the New Era Orchestra’s achievements have been unprecedented for Ukraine, blazing new trails in both artistic quality and global recognition. The year 2022 was meant to mark the orchestra’s 15th anniversary, with celebratory concerts planned long in advance. Instead, it became the year when musicians joined their nation’s heroic struggle for freedom and democracy—on the cultural front. Their first performance after the full-scale invasion was a benefit concert with Joshua Bell at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., which raised over $350,000 for UNITED24, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s global initiative to support Ukraine. Through these efforts, Ms. Kalinichenko has affirmed the role of music not only as an art form, but as a force for resilience, solidarity, and hope.
Tatiana Kalinichenko will conduct TŌN on January 24, 2026.
Bio: Sep 2025