# Roman Kofman

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{{Short description|Ukrainian conductor and composer (1936–2026)}}
{{Family name hatnote|Isaakovych|Kofman|lang=Eastern Slavic}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2026}}
{{Use British English|date=February 2026}}
{{Infobox person
| image             = Roman_Kofman.jpg
| alt               = Black and white studio publicity shot of a clean-shaven, elderly, half-smiling man with short, receding, greying hair, with a left parting. He looks askance from under dark brows, one brow being raised, as if to make a point.
| caption           = 
| native_name       = Роман Кофман
| native_name_lang  = uk
| birth_date        = {{Birth date|1936|6|15|df=y}}
| birth_place       = [Kyiv](/source/Kyiv), [Ukrainian SSR](/source/Ukrainian_SSR), Soviet Union
| death_date        = {{Death date and age|2026|2|24|1936|6|15|df=y}}
| death_place       = Israel
| occupation        = {{ubl| Conductor | Violinist | Composer | Music educator }}
| organizations     = {{ubl| [Kyiv Chamber Orchestra](/source/Kyiv_Chamber_Orchestra) | [Kyiv Conservatory](/source/Kyiv_Conservatory) | [Beethoven Orchester Bonn](/source/Beethoven_Orchester_Bonn) }}
| awards            = {{ubl| [People's Artist of Ukraine](/source/People's_Artist_of_Ukraine) | [Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany](/source/Order_of_Merit_of_the_Federal_Republic_of_Germany) }}
}}

'''Roman (Avraham) Isaakovych Kofman''' ({{langx|uk|Роман (Аврaам) Ісаaкович Кофман}}, 15 June 1936 – 24 February 2026) was a Ukrainian conductor, violinist, composer, music educator and [People's Artist of Ukraine](/source/People's_Artist_of_Ukraine) (2003). He was internationally known as [concertmaster](/source/concertmaster), co-founder and later artistic director of the [Kyiv Chamber Orchestra](/source/Kyiv_Chamber_Orchestra), and as [Generalmusikdirektor](/source/Generalmusikdirektor) of the [Beethoven Orchester Bonn](/source/Beethoven_Orchester_Bonn) from 2003 to 2008, when he was awarded the [Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany](/source/Order_of_Merit_of_the_Federal_Republic_of_Germany). He was principal conductor of the [National Philharmonic of Ukraine](/source/National_Philharmonic_of_Ukraine) from 2012.

==Life and career==
Roman (Avraham) Isaakovych Kofman was born <!-- to Jewish parents --> on 15 June 1936 in Kyiv, [Ukrainian SSR](/source/Ukrainian_SSR).<ref name="Mez1" /> He graduated <!-- in 1961 --> from the State Conservatory (now the [Ukrainian National Academy of Music](/source/Ukrainian_National_Academy_of_Music)) with a degree in violin, and a degree in conducting<!-- in 1971-->.<ref name="Mez1" /><ref name="Bumann" /> He soon worked also in the Soviet Union and especially regularly at the [Warsaw Opera](/source/Grand_Theatre%2C_Warsaw), but was restricted from work in Western countries from 1973 to 1989. From 1963 he worked as a concertmaster of the [Kyiv Chamber Orchestra](/source/Kyiv_Chamber_Orchestra) that he co-founded.<ref name="moto">{{cite news |url=https://moto-perpetuo.com/roman-kofman-obituary/ |title=Roman Kofman, Ukrainian conductor and cultural bridge to Germany, dies at 89 |date=26 February 2026 |access-date=2 March 2026}}</ref>

As a conductor he performed with more than 70 orchestras and ensembles from around the world, in Italy, Austria, Canada, Mexico, the Netherlands, and the United States.<ref name="Mez1" /> He conducted the [WDR Symphony Orchestra Cologne](/source/WDR_Symphony_Orchestra_Cologne), the [Bern Symphony Orchestra](/source/Bern_Symphony_Orchestra), orchestra of the [Bayerischer Rundfunk](/source/Bayerischer_Rundfunk), and the [Munich Philharmonic](/source/Munich_Philharmonic).<ref name="Rel1">{{cite web |title=Тиждень високої класики з Романом Кофманом |url=http://relax.ua/afisha/nedelya-s-romanom-kofmanom-2011/lang/ua |website=Relax |publisher=Premium Group Ukraine |access-date=12 September 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150928014012/http://relax.ua/afisha/nedelya-s-romanom-kofmanom-2011/lang/ua |archive-date=28 September 2015 |language=uk |date=16 June 2011 |trans-title=Week of High Classics with Roman Kofman}}</ref>

Between 2003 and 2008 Kofman worked in Germany as the [Generalmusikdirektor](/source/Generalmusikdirektor) in [Bonn](/source/Bonn), leading the [Beethoven Orchester Bonn](/source/Beethoven_Orchester_Bonn)<ref name="Bumann">{{cite news |last=Bumann |first=Ulrich |url=http://www.general-anzeiger-bonn.de/lokales/kultur/Dirigieren-ist-eine-dunkle-Sache-article9054.html |title=Dirigieren ist eine dunkle Sache |newspaper=[General-Anzeiger (Bonn)](/source/General-Anzeiger_(Bonn)) |date=27 February 2003 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151203003157/http://www.general-anzeiger-bonn.de/lokales/kultur/Dirigieren-ist-eine-dunkle-Sache-article9054.html |archive-date=3 December 2015 |access-date=27 February 2026}}</ref><ref name="Hartmann">{{cite news |last1=Hartmann |first1=Bernhard |title=Beethoven Orchester spielt erstes Konzert in der Bonner Oper |url=https://ga.de/news/kultur-und-medien/beethoven-orchester-spielt-erstes-konzert-in-der-bonner-oper_aid-43554781 |access-date=9 November 2025 |work=General-Anzeiger |date=1 November 2017 |language=de |trans-title=Beethoven Orchestra plays its first concert at the Bonn Opera}}</ref> and the [Bonn Opera](/source/Bonn_Opera),<ref name="moto" /><ref name="Mez1" /> in his first season there conducting Alban Berg's ''[Lulu](/source/Lulu_(opera))'' and Verdi's ''[Macbeth](/source/Macbeth_(Verdi))''.<ref name="Bumann" /> He programmed all of the Shostakovich symphonies during his tenure.<ref name="Hartmann" />

<!-- {{Asof|2025}}, Kofman was a professor of conducting at the [National Music Academy of Ukraine](/source/Kyiv_Conservatory).  -->Kofman was the principal conductor of the [Kyiv Chamber Orchestra](/source/Kyiv_Chamber_Orchestra) from 1990 until his death in 2026.<ref name="moto" /><ref name="Bumann" /><ref name="Nat1">{{cite web |title=Київський камерний оркестр |url=http://www.filarmonia.com.ua/54 |publisher=[National Philharmonic of Ukraine](/source/National_Philharmonic_of_Ukraine) |access-date=9 November 2025 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110930154047/http://www.filarmonia.com.ua/54 |archive-date=30 September 2011 |language=uk |date=2008 |trans-title=Kyiv Chamber Orchestra}}</ref> He led the symphony orchestra of the [National Philharmonic of Ukraine](/source/National_Philharmonic_of_Ukraine) from 2012.<ref name="Mez1" /> Kofman also composed film music. In 2011, he published a literary book containing two short [autobiographical](/source/autobiographical) novels.<ref name="Mez1" />

Kofman died on 24 February 2026, at the age of 89.<ref name="Mez1">{{cite news |title=Renowned Ukrainian Conductor Roman Kofman Passes Away |url=https://mezha.net/eng/bukvy/renowned-ukrainian-conductor-roman-kofman-passes-away/ |access-date=26 February 2026 |agency=Mezha |date=25 February 2026}}</ref><ref name="moto" />

==Awards==
Kofman was awarded the titles of [Merited Artist of Ukraine](/source/Merited_Artist_of_Ukraine) and [People's Artist of Ukraine](/source/People's_Artist_of_Ukraine). He was also awarded <!-- the Order of Merit III degree, and --> the [Officer’s Cross First Class of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany](/source/Order_of_Merit_of_the_Federal_Republic_of_Germany). He received the [Echo Klassik](/source/Echo_Klassik) award in 2007, and in 2011 was shortlisted for the [Shevchenko National Prize](/source/Shevchenko_National_Prize).<ref name="Mez1" />

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==Further reading==
* {{Cite journal |last1=Litvynova|first1=О.U. |title=Кофман Роман |url=https://esu.com.ua/article-394 |website=Encyclopedia of Modern Ukraine |date=2014 |access-date=|ref=none|language=uk|trans-title = Roman Kofman}}

==External links==
* {{Discogs artist|Roman Kofman}}
* {{IMDb name|16704405}}

{{Authority control|state=collapsed}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Kofman, Roman}}
Category:1936 births
Category:2026 deaths
Category:21st-century Ukrainian conductors (music)
Category:21st-century Ukrainian male musicians
Category:21st-century violinists
Category:Academic staff of the Ukrainian National Academy of Music
Category:Jewish Ukrainian musicians
Category:Ukrainian National Academy of Music alumni
Category:Officers Crosses of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany
Category:Recipients of the title of People's Artist of Ukraine
Category:Ukrainian classical violinists
Category:Ukrainian male conductors (music)
Category:Ukrainian music educators

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Roman Kofman](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roman_Kofman) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roman_Kofman?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.