August 12 – 18, 2019
Temerty Theatre, Royal Conservatory’s TELUS Centre for Performance and Leadership
For Immediate Release
July 30, 2019
Eight professional vocalists interpret the poems of Oleksandr Oles with art songs by four composers at the third annual Ukrainian Art Song Summer Institute
Toronto, ON – The Ukrainian Art Song Project announced that the third annual Summer Institute will focus on the theme of Muse, with eight professional vocalists interpreting the poems of Oleksandr Oles, with art songs by Ukrainian composers: Myroslav Volynsky, Mykola Lysenko, Yakiv Steopovyi, and Marko Kropyvnytskyi. The Art Song Summer Institute opens on Monday, August 12, at Temerty Theatre, in the Royal Conservatory’s TELUS Centre for Performance and Leadership, and concludes on Sunday, August 18, at 3:00 p.m., with its Artists in Performance finale recital. Tickets are now on sale.
The theme for the third annual Ukrainian Art Song Summer Institute is Muse. A poet, having lost their inspiration, retraces their life, striving to reawaken in themselves the passion that once allowed them to create great works of art.
Participating in the Summer Institute are five new and three returning professional vocalists who will participate in a week-long, intensive program, overseen by Founding Artistic Director, British-Ukrainian bass-baritone Pavlo Hunka, choral professor Melanie Turgeon, and acclaimed accompanists Albert Krywolt and Robert Kortgaard. The vocalists are trained to not only sing and perform a set of Ukrainian Art Songs, but they are trained to interpret and bring life to them by becoming characters, telling their story through a unique musical performance.
This year’s Summer Institute class of vocalists includes: Mezzo-soprano Alexandra Beley (Canada), Soprano Julie Anna Gulenko (U.S.), Baritone Yurii Hryhorash (Ukraine), Soprano Kateryna Khartova (Canada), Soprano Teryn Kuzma (U.S.), Soprano Katherine Mayba (Canada), Tenor Andrew Skitko (U.S.), and Mezzo-soprano Olenka Slywynska (Canada).
Art Song enthusiasts are invited to audit open sessions on August 14, 15 & 16, between 2:30 – 6:30 p.m. Admission is free but advance confirmation of attendance is mandatory online at: https://www.ukrainianartsong.
The Summer Institute concludes on Sunday, August 18 with the critically acclaimed Artist in Performance finale recital, performed in the round, with the vocalists bringing to life stories behind the characters portrayed in the art songs performance. Advance tickets for the recital are now on sale for $40 and can be purchase in advance at www.ukrainianartsong.ca. Previous recitals have been sold out and advance ticket purchases are highly recommended.
The Ukrainian Art Song Project was founded in 2004 with the goal of acquiring and promoting the classical treasures of Ukrainian art song and aims to record and publish a veritable anthology of over 1,000 art songs by 26+ of Ukraine’s greatest composers. The project operates under the auspices of the Canadian Ukrainian Opera Association, a registered charity, whose objectives are to promote Ukrainian classical music in all forms, including live performances and recordings.
For more information on the Ukrainian Art Song Project, go to www.ukrainianartsong.ca/
Facebook: @UKrArtSongSummerInstitute
Instagram: @ukrasrtsong
Twitter: @UkrArtSong
For media information contact:
Ciarlo Communications
Tel: 416-763-3783
Cell: 416-458-5090
Email: [email protected]
