‘VOICES. An Evening of Premieres’: Kyiv Camerata to Present Music of Memory, Hope and Victory

On Sept. 21, the Kyiv Camerata National Ensemble of Soloists, the Kyiv Chamber Choir, and soloists Bohdana Pivnenko (violin) and Iryna Lytvynenko (bandura) will present the concert “VOICES. An Evening of Premieres” at the National Philharmonic of Ukraine.

The concert will be conducted by Keri-Lynn Wilson, principal conductor of the Kyiv Camerata. Wilson will interrupt rehearsals for The Mothers of Kherson in Warsaw to travel to Kyiv for the Camerata’s season-opening concert.

The program brings together Ukrainian and American music from different generations and stylistic traditions. Most of the works will be heard for the first time, including world premieres, a Ukrainian premiere, and a new orchestral version of an existing work.

“VOICES” is built around two poles – memory and faith in the future. Grief, personal loss, Ukrainian folklore, contemporary classical music, and the energy of victory will come together in a program shaped by the experience of a country at war.

One of the central works is Hanna Havrylets’ “Stabat Mater” for choir and orchestra, and the only piece in the program that is not a premiere. It portrays a grieving mother at the foot of the cross as a universal image of human suffering, maternal pain, and loss, themes that have acquired particular resonance in Ukraine today.

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At the other end of the spectrum is the world premiere of Victoria Poleva’s “In Memory of Oleh Pavliuchenkov,” dedicated to the renowned cinematographer, screenwriter, director, photographer, and cultural figure who died this year. The premiere has a deeply personal meaning for violinist Bohdana Pivnenko, as the work is dedicated to her husband.

Another major voice of the evening will be Nico Muhly’s “Shrink” Concerto for Violin and Orchestra, receiving its Ukrainian premiere. The American composer is known for working at the intersection of minimalism, post-minimalist techniques, and contemporary classical music.

Pivnenko will perform the solo violin part. The piece will be a demanding challenge for both the soloist and the orchestra, she says. “It is a very difficult concerto for both me and the orchestra, but it will be an extremely interesting experience.” Muhly, Pivnenko adds, is a prominent figure in contemporary American music whose works have been performed on major international stages.

Alongside contemporary classical music, the program will feature Ukrainian folk-inspired music with “Colomyika la vita” by Volodymyr Zubytskyi, performed in a version for bandura and orchestra arranged by Andrii Shust.

The bandura solo will be performed by Iryna Lytvynenko, with the performance also marking the Kyiv Camerata’s first appearance with a bandura.