Ukrainian Contemporary Music Festival: DEFENSE-DEFIANCE-DEDICATION

Since the start of Russia’s current war against Ukraine in 2014, Ukrainian music has taken on new purposes. Each of the works on this program has a function, but their utility goes beyond conventional music for use, such as entertainment or education. In the face of a decade of Russian aggression these works reveal how music can serve new purposes for composers and their audiences.

The program opens with Roman Grygoriv’s Lansam 9M27K, in which the composer performs on a (disarmed) missile casing from Russia’s bombardment of Ukraine. Olga Zaitseva-Herz’s Bakhmut Rhapsody is a world premiere; the rest are North American premieres.