A UKRAINIAN composer and pianist will be performing in Oxford as part of a festival celebrating the country’s heritage.
The inaugural Ukrainian Culture Weeks, organised by Cherwell College, in George Street, will take place from September 30 to October 2.
It will be a celebration of Ukraine’s culture, featuring art, photography, fashion and classical Ukrainian music by soloists and ensembles.
Many performers will be travelling to Oxford from Ukraine and various locations across Europe, where they have been displaced by the war.
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The main event will be the Grand Concert, held on September 30 at the Sheldonian Theatre, which will feature a performance by Valentyn Sylvestrov, the most performed Ukrainian composer in the world.
The composer will also run master classes with other artists and musicians during the festival, to help them develop their music.
The festival will also include a performance by Kyiv Chamber Choir, a light display celebrating Ukrainian artist Maria Primachenko, and a fashion performance staged by the innovative Ukrainian designer Fedir Vozianov.
A spokesperson for the event said: “Since the Sixties, Valentyn Sylvestrov’s music is played at international festivals and his compositions are included in the repertoire of famous orchestras and performers.
“Sylvestrov denotes his style as ‘meta-music’, metaphorical music, because of its meditative, reflective moods. Despite the predominantly lyrical nature of his creative work, Sylvestrov’s legacy includes nearly all classical genres.
“The Ukrainian Culture Weeks will open hearts, arms, galleries and stages for the celebration of classical music, authentic visual performances and exhibitions, as well as talks by Ukrainian artists, all of them impacting the world culture today, leaving traces in the past and in future of the global art and music scene.”
Tickets cost between £10 and £40 and can be bought here: cherwell-college.co.uk/events
Proceeds from event tickets will help support humanitarian initiatives in Ukraine.
Meanwhile, a group of artists in collaboration with St John’s College are organising an exhibition titled “Our home” and dedicated to Ukraine, which is opening on Saturday (September 17) at the Kendrew Barn, in St Giles.
There will be paintings, sculptures, installations and digital art on display, created by artists in bomb shelters or while there were escaping the war-torn country.
A spokesperson at the college said: “These artworks, as well as their creators, came to England to reach its art scene, in the same way that any refugee would: days on the road via ruined and mined roads, under constant threat of bombardment, hour-long queues at the border through a foreign country and eventually, by plane to the exhibition.”
The artworks will be on display until October 2 and entry is free.
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This story was written by Anna Colivicchi, she joined the team this year and covers health stories for the Oxfordshire papers.
Get in touch with her by emailing: Anna.colivicchi@newsquest.co.uk
Follow her on Twitter @AnnaColivicchi
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