In California, on December 13 and 14, festive choral concerts titled “Carols of Birds, Bells, and Peace from Ukraine: A Holiday Celebration” will present Ukrainian Christmas traditions performed by the professional chamber choir Cherubim under the direction of Ukrainian-American conductor Marika Kuzma. The event will bring together leading West Coast artists and introduce American audiences to the spiritual and musical heritage of Ukraine.
This was reported by Vilni Media.
The first concert will take place on December 13 at 2:00 p.m. at Zellerbach Hall, Cal Performances (Berkeley, California). The program will include traditional carols, ancient chants, contemporary works, and poetic reflections. Notable guest artists include Frederica Von Stade, L. Peter Callender, the Piedmont East Bay Children’s Chorus, and other regional performers. All pieces will be sung in Ukrainian, Church Slavonic, Crimean Tatar, and Yiddish, with English subtitles.
The second concert will follow on December 14 at 3:00 p.m. at St. John’s Episcopal Cathedral (Los Angeles). Organizers encourage Los Angeles residents to attend, noting that while the Berkeley performance has drawn high demand, seats remain available for the Los Angeles concert. The program will feature hymns, songs, and both ancient and modern Ukrainian carols.
“This is an exceptional ensemble of professional singers, most of whom are not of Ukrainian descent, yet each has a deep love for Ukrainian culture. Among them are Simon Barrad, who recently performed solo parts with the LA Master Chorale; Teryn Kuzma, who traveled to Ukraine in the spring to perform with a bandura for children’s hospitals; and Brian Thorsett, a highly acclaimed tenor from the San Francisco Bay Area,” — Marika Kuzma told Vilni Media about the ensemble’s uniqueness.
The concert program will also include works ranging from ancient chants to modern compositions by Oleksiychuk and Yakymets, as well as the legendary “Shchedryk” by Mykola Leontovych. Visual projections of Ukrainian landscapes will accompany the performances, immersing the audience in the atmosphere of Ukrainian culture.
For reference
Ensemble Cherubim is a professional chamber choir known for creating immersive performances that blend Ukrainian music, poetry, and visual art. Its mission is to introduce American audiences to the lesser-known treasures of Ukrainian culture.
Marika Kuzma is a conductor of Ukrainian descent and Professor Emerita of Music at UC Berkeley. She has collaborated with renowned conductors such as Gustavo Dudamel, Esa-Pekka Salonen, Kent Nagano, and Keri-Lynn Wilson.
Her choirs have earned high praise from the San Francisco Chronicle, New York Times, and other leading outlets, described as “beautiful,” “resonant,” and “electrifying.”
Author: Danylo Pievchev