2024 Ukrainian Contemporary Music Festival to Celebrate Fifth Anniversary in NY

Taking place from March 28 - 30, the festival will host world premieres of works by Virko Baley, Mykhailo Chedryk, and Olga Zaitseva-Herz

The Ukrainian Contemporary Music Festival is set to return for its fifth-anniversary season in New York this coming March. The festival will feature world premiere performances of works by Virko Baley, Mykhailo Chedryk, and Olga Zaitseva-Herz, as well as the North American premieres of six other works.

The festival was founded and is directed by the musicologist Leah Batstone. In 2024, the program comprises three concerts at the DiMenna Center, plus a more informal "Afterdark" event at the Mriya Gallery in Tribeca.

In 2024, the festival's theme is "Crossing Borders," in recognition of the many new Ukrainian works that are now being written beyond the geographical borders of Ukraine itself. In foregrounding these works, the festival will explore themes of escape and exile — as well as highlighting works that engage with other art forms and genres.

The festival's headline composer is Virko Baley. His own concert — "Virko Baley at 85" — will feature the world premiere of his new flute-piano duo SOLILOQUIES & A DIALOGUE, and five other works from earlier in his career.

In addition, many of the performers at the festival are Ukrainian or of Ukrainian heritage. These players include the NYU Contemporary Music Ensemble and string quartet The Rhythm Method,

Tickets for the DiMenna Center concerts are $25 each, or $60 for all three concerts. Students can purchase $10 tickets. All tickets are available through Eventbrite.