Myroslav Skoryk

Myroslav Skoryk was a Ukrainian composer, conductor, pianist and educator. Exposed to music from a young age, he studied composition and music theory at Lviv Conservatory with Stanislav Lyudkevich, Roman Simovich and Adam Soltys. He was later under the tutelage of Dmitry Kabalevsky at Moscow Conservatory, where he wrote popular pieces like Burlesque and Partita No. 1 for Strings. After graduation, Skoryk became Ukraine's youngest composition lecturer at Lviv Conservatory in 1964. He later taught at Kyiv Conservatory, focusing on contemporary harmony techniques. Among his students were the composers Osvaldas Balakauskas, Ivan Karabyts and Yevhen Stankovych. 

Skoryk's music incorporated elements from diverse genres, including folk music and jazz. His works have been regularly performed in Ukraine and around the world and have garnered various accolades, including the Shevchenko National Prize in 1987 for his Cello Concerto. He was named Hero of Ukraine in 2008.

Skoryk died, aged 81, in 2020.