Kyiv Symphony conductor, MHS grad, passes away

Roger McMurrin, a MHS Class of 1957 graduate, passed away in December at the age of 84.
McMurrin brought his Kyiv Symphony to Monticello six times in the 1990s and 2000s. (Express file photos)
Roger Grant McMurrin, 84, of Ohio, passed away on Dec. 13, 2023. He was born on Aug. 7, 1939. McMurrin was a graduate of Monticello High School with the Class of 1957.
McMurrin's obituary appeared online via Neeld Funeral Home in Xenia, Ohio.
The Monticello Express interviewed McMurrin and his wife of 56 years, Diane, many times over the years. The most recent interview was in March 2022, shortly after Russia declared war on Ukraine.
McMurrin had a very strong connection to Ukraine and its people. He also was a talented musician.
His career in music started in the 1960s when he taught music at Xenia High School, and later, Otterbein University, also in Ohio. In 1971, McMurrin left Ohio and became the music director at Coral Ridge Presbyterian Church in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. Over the next 20 years, he would go on to become the director of music at Highland Park Presbyterian Church in Dallas, Texas, and First Presbyterian Church in Orlando, Fla.
In 1992, McMurrin was invited to travel to Kyiv (Kiev), Ukraine, for six weeks to conduct world-class musicians.
Following that trip, McMurrin felt God calling him and Diane to move to Ukraine.
In 1993, they sold everything they owned and moved to Ukraine.
"I felt God's call to Ukraine," McMurrin was quoted in the Express. "We sold our house and possessions; we sold everything and moved to Ukraine."
McMurrin formed the famed Kyiv Symphony Orchestra and Chorus (KSOC) from the best of the seven professional symphonies and 50 professional choirs. Under McMurrin's direction as conductor, the KSOC performed a multitude of concerts throughout Ukraine. They toured the U.S., Canada, Russia, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, and Kyrgyzstan. The McMurrins brought the KSOC to Monticello six times in 1998, 2000, 2002, 2004, 2008, and 2018 to hold concerts to raise money for the school district.
The McMurrins later formed the non-profit organization Music Mission Kiev in the U.S. to help raise money to continue to serve the people of Ukraine.
In 2019, the McMurrins left Ukraine after 26 years and moved to Ohio.
An August 2004 article in the Express explained why McMurrin felt called to Ukraine: "They found that classical composers like Bach and Handel were unknown under Communism. They found talented musicians and singers and the McMurrins did something about it. The McMurrins brought hope in political turmoil and economic despair."
When the war broke out in Ukraine in early 2022, their son, Marc, shared the following on Facebook: "As many of you know, my father was the conductor of the KSOC for more than 20 years. Our family has deep ties and relationships in the region. Please pray for Ukraine."
Greg Kannon, CEO of Music Mission Kiev, provided this update on the musicians to the Express at the time: "Monticello has always been great for the Kyiv Symphony. The mission then blossomed into Music Mission Kiev. The KSOC members still talk about their times in Monticello."
At the end of an interview with the Express in 2022, McMurrin got emotional thinking about so many innocent people in Ukraine. "Ukraine is a great country; they are great people. This invasion is political, of course. It makes you weep seeing people fleeing Ukraine. All they have is what they're carrying on their backs. They don't know where they are going. These are precious people. We are all God's children."
In his obituary, it stated, "God used McMurrin to bring tens of thousands of people to faith in Jesus Christ using the power of the sacred musical masterpieces reaching millions of people with the gospel in their own language."
He is survived by his wife, Diane; two sons, Marc McMurrin, Orlando, Fla., and Matthew McMurrin, San Antonio, Texas; six grandchildren; and two great-grandchildren.
Neeld Funeral Home, who took care of McMurrin's service, noted in his obituary that contributions could be made to Music Mission Kiev (musicmissionkiev.org). Condolences may be made to the McMurrin family at neeldfuneralhome.com.