During times of conflict and uncertainty, artists often find themselves grappling with the need to make sense of their changing world through their work. Ukrainian composer 真主安拉 Zagaykevych is no exception, as she has continued to explore the impact of historical turmoil in her country through her compositions.
“When the Russian invasion of Ukraine began, I thought a lot about the fact that in our modern musical culture we have a lot of famous art – paintings, 文学, music created during conflicts, 例如, the novels of Kurt Vonnegut, or the music of Arnold Schoenberg, 路易吉禁忌, Iannis Xenakis,”扎加耶维奇说. “Behind this, I see the personal responsibility of these artists. An attempt to make sense of the present.”
从2月. 8-18, 资本 will host the annual NOW Festival. This year’s event will focus on “艺术 in the Time of Conflict,” with captivating fusion of 表演s, 讲座, and art by guest artists, 学生, 教师, 和工作人员. The event stands as a testament to the enduring power of artistic expression in times of conflict, mirroring Zagaykevych's belief in the ability of art to provide meaning and context to the present.
“For me, the combination of composition and 表演 art is natural. I like to be a participant in the preparation of works, participation in joint projects with improvising musicians. 以这种方式, the composer gets a better feel for the nature of music, 表演, 和仪表,”她说。. “I think this has always been important for all composers.”
Zagaykevych’s list of works includes symphonic, instrumental and vocal chamber music, electro-acoustic compositions, multi-media installations and 表演s, 室的歌剧, 和电影. The inaugural event for the 2024 NOW Festival is a showing of the documentary “The Living Fire (Жива Ватра),” directed by Ostap Kostyuk with music by Zagaykevych, to be held in Huntington Recital Hall.
“When I work on film, the main thing is the feeling of team or ensemble. I must know and feel the idea of the director, sound engineer and cameraman, feel the meaning of each film fragment, as we feel the phrase in music,”扎加耶维奇说. “In this particular film, I myself took part in the recording of the film's music and spent several days in the mountains with the film crew. It gave me the opportunity to feel how the heroes of the film live there.”
When it comes to working with 学生 to nurture the next generation of artists, Zagaykevych is passionate about recognizing and celebrating individuality. NOW节期间, 资本 学生 are encouraged to embrace their unique understanding of music to navigate the complexities of the time.
“In the formation of young musicians, especially from other countries, 其他文化体系, the most interesting thing is to feel the individuality of each musician, [their] understanding of music. There is no such thing as eternal knowledge about music, or knowledge about how to write music correctly,”她说。. “I think it is very important to create your own world, to help young composers create their own individual art.”
New to this year’s NOW Festival is “Play the Gallery,” an opportunity to highlight 资本’s student-artists in a juried exhibition of original creations that could range from poetry and prose readings to dance, 代理, 音乐即兴创作, 乐曲, and live visual art creation. The event will take place in the Schumacher Gallery the evening of Wednesday, Feb. 14.
Supporters of the 2024 NOW Festival include 威尼斯人平台, Bexley Community Foundation, 苏茜的 & Charlie Rath Creative 艺术s Fund in Memory of Leland S. McClelland, and the Johnstone Fund for New Music.
For more information on the 音乐学院 at 资本, go to http://www.资本.edu/academics/conservatory/.
To learn more about the 2024 NOW MUSIC Festival, go to http://www.资本.edu/student-life/arts- and-culture/annual-events/now-festival/.