“Ponomarchuk is one of the great Ukrainian conductors.”
Edward Docx, The New Statesman
One of Ukraine’s most prominent symphonic conductors, Natalia Ponomarchuk is sought after for her emotionally charged interpretations, dynamic podium presence, and commitment to championing Ukrainian symphonic repertoire. Since relocating to London in 2022, she has continued to build an increasingly international career while remaining a frequent guest with Ukraine’s leading orchestras, including the National Symphony Orchestra of Ukraine, National Philharmonic of Ukraine, National Odesa Philharmonic Orchestra and Lviv National Philharmonic Orchestra, as well as appearing at major festivals including Bouquet Kyiv Stage.
Natalia was appointed Chief Conductor of the Kyiv Chamber Orchestra of the National Philharmonic of Ukraine in 2018. Previous appointments include Principal Conductor of the Kyiv Symphony Orchestra, Artistic Director and Principal Conductor of the Academic Symphony Orchestra of the Dnipro Philharmonic, and Resident Conductor of the National Symphony Orchestra of Ukraine, Kyiv Camerata, and Ukrainian National Radio. Alongside the core symphonic repertoire, Natalia is recognised for her advocacy of Ukrainian music, introducing audiences across Europe and North America to works by composers including Yevhen Stankovych, Valentyn Sylvestrov, Boris Lyatoshynsky and Myroslav Skoryk.
Recent and forthcoming engagements include a return to the Calgary Philharmonic and debuts with the Bremen Philharmonic, Orchestre National des Pays de la Loire, Polish National Radio Symphony Orchestra, George Enescu Philharmonic Orchestra, Dresden Philharmonic, Sofia Philharmonic, Slovenian Philharmonic, Sønderjyllands Symfoniorkester, Royal Scottish National Orchestra, and the Orchestra I Pomeriggi Musicali at the MITO SettembreMusica Festival.
Guest conducting engagements have included appearances with the London Philharmonic Orchestra, BBC Symphony Orchestra, Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment, Rundfunk-Sinfonieorchester Berlin, Estonian National Symphony Orchestra, Oregon Bach Festival Modern Orchestra, and National Symphony Orchestra of Colombia. She has performed at major concert halls and opera houses around the world including Madrid’s Teatro Real, Auditorio Nacional, and Teatro Zarzuela, London’s Queen Elizabeth Hall and Maida Vale Studios, the Palau de la Música Catalana, Warsaw Philharmonic Hall, Milan’s Sala Verdi, and Concertgebouw Brugge.
In 2025 Natalia and the Kyiv Chamber Orchestra recorded the first complete cycle of Yevhen Stankovych’s seventeen Chamber Symphonies. Released by Toccata Classics, the project represents a major contribution to the recorded legacy of one of Ukraine’s foremost contemporary composers. The first volume, featuring Chamber Symphonies Nos. 3, 7 and 15, is released in August 2026.
A graduate of the National Music Academy of Ukraine, where she studied with Professor Allin Vlasenko, Natalia was named an Honoured Artist of Ukraine in 2001. In 2025 she received the Ukrinform News Agency’s Best Symphony Conductor award and serves as a jury member of the 2025/26 Geneva Conducting Competition.