Born in Kiev, Jurij Galatenko studied at the National Academy of Music of Ukraine, in the fields of choir conducting and later symphonic and opera conducting. Prior to that he graduated from the M. Lysenko Secondary Special Music School in Kiev. At the same time, he also studied privately with the famous conductor Ilya Musin in St. Petersburg. During his studies, he became a finalist of the II. International Conducting Competition of Ukraine and participated in the International Conducting Competition in St. Petersburg.
He first worked as a choirmaster of the university choir of the Kiev Polytechnic Institute, then as a conductor of the Chamber Orchestra of the State Philharmonic of Chernigov. He conducted the philharmonic in the Ukrainian city of Rivne and also worked as a teacher of choir conducting at the Kiev Conservatory.
After arriving in the Czech Republic in 1998, he began working as an assistant choirmaster and then as a choirmaster at the NDM Opera in Ostrava. As a choirmaster or conductor, he has participated in the implementation of many important music festivals. In 2001, he was the choirmaster at the Gars Festival (performing Puccini’s Turandot), for the Dvořák International Music Festival Olomouc he staged Antonín Dvořák’s The Wedding Shirt, for the Janáček’s Hukvaldy Festival he staged the Glagolitic Mass. At the Janáček’s May Festival in 2006 he performed the world premiere of Schiffauer’s work Jako kmeny stromů and later that year also the opera Brenpartija by the same author. In 2007, he was the choirmaster of the project at the Smetana Litomyšl International Opera Festival (Bohuslav Martinů: Bouquet of Flowers).
Jurij Galatenko has won many international choir competitions, including the award for “best conductor of the competition” at Varsovia cantat. In 2014–2016 he was a guest conductor of the Bohemiachor choir.
As a choirmaster, he regularly performs at the Ostrava Days and NODO (New Opera Days Ostrava) festivals. As part of NODO, he participated in the world premiere of Alois Hába’s opera Přijď království Tvé in 2018 and in 2020 he staged and conducted the Czech premiere of the a cappella opera Svadba by Ana Sokolović. He is also active in connection with the professional ensemble Canticum Ostrava and has extensive teaching experience, including teaching conducting at the University of Ostrava.
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