The Ukrainian Classical Voice Project presented The Underrepresented Composers of Ukraine and Their Contribution to the Vocal Genres as part of the Eastern Region Conference of the National Association of Teachers of Singing, hosted by Skidmore College in Saratoga Springs, New York.

Developed and presented by UCVP founder Irina Petrik, the lecture explored the contributions of Ukrainian composers to classical vocal literature within the broader historical context of Ukraine’s struggle to preserve its cultural and national identity. Incorporating the poetry of Taras Shevchenko, the presentation traced the lives and artistic legacies of Ukrainian composers across the eighteenth, nineteenth, and twentieth centuries, examining the ways in which Ukrainian creative voices were subjected to censorship, persecution, cultural suppression, and political pressure under the Russian Empire and Soviet rule.

The presentation concluded with performances of Ukrainian art songs and operatic arias by College of Saint Rose undergraduate students Alexis Cummings, Reeza Abadi, Elizabeth Diaz Sartillo, Megan Galucci, and Alexis Estevez, who performed works by Dmytro Bortnyansky, Mykola Lysenko, Kyrylo Stetsenko, Vasyl Barvinsky, Mykola Leontovych and Mykhailo Zherbin in the original Ukrainian. The singers appeared in traditional Ukrainian attire, bringing the music’s cultural context into visual dialogue with the performance.

The event concluded with the National Anthem of Ukraine, performed by elementary school student Solomia Dovgan in memory of her grandfather, who had recently been killed while defending Ukraine. Her performance brought the historical themes of the presentation into poignant connection with the continuing human cost of the war, transforming the closing moments into a tribute to courage, remembrance, and Ukraine’s enduring struggle for freedom.