World of Music: Taras Filenko (Ukrainian Contemporary Classical)

Acclaimed and beloved pianist and friend Taras Filenko makes a long-awaited return to City of Asylum, joined by violinist Jennifer Orchard to perform a concert that connects North America and Ukraine. The performance will feature a beautiful, film-like original composition by Michael Minard written especially with Taras Filenko and Jennifer Orchard in mind, which will be dedicated to Ukraine. They will also be joined by Peter Fung of the Broad Street Collective. For their appearance at City of Asylum, Peter and the Broad Street Collective are excited to provide unique jazz arrangements of traditional Ukrainian melodies.

About the Artists:

Dr. Taras Filenko is a noted scholar and performer of Ukrainian music. A graduate of the National Academy of Music in Kyiv, he went on to serve as a member of the faculty and eventually as Associate Dean of Conducting and Voice. From the Academy, he was awarded a Ph.D. in historic musicology in 1989, later earning a doctorate in Ethnomusicology from the University of Pittsburgh in 1998. For over forty years, Taras has worked in the fields of History of Music, Ethnomusicology, and Music Performance (piano, organ, and choir directing), successfully combining his work as scholar, teacher, and performer. He has presented concerts throughout Europe and North America, making numerous media appearances promoting the works of contemporary Ukrainian composers. Taras is a recipient of Fulbright and Petesh Scholarships. The themes of his academic publications (more than 100) embrace ethnic studies, musical culture and politics, ethnomusicology, and music and poetry. Together with his mother, Tamara Bulat, he authored The World of Mykola Lysenko: Ethnic Identity, Music Culture and Politics, (2001). A Ukrainian version of this important work was published in 2009. Dr. Filenko has participated in numerous musicological conferences and in international symposiums in Austria, Belgium, France, Poland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Ukraine, Azerbaijan, Russia, Canada, and the United States.

Jennifer Orchard, violinist, graduate of the Curtis Institute with a master’s degree from The Juilliard School, has called Pittsburgh home since 2001. She is a member of the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra and is a founding member of the Clarion Quartet, which was formed to present works by suppressed composers. Their first recording, “Breaking the Silence,” on the Naxos label, features music by Jewish composers who suffered exile and execution at the hand of the Nazis. Currently, the Quartet is broadening its scope, exploring other marginalized composers, who have been overlooked and denied the acclaim they deserve. Before moving to Pittsburgh, Orchard was a member of the world-renowned Lark Quartet and recorded extensively under the Arabesque label during her eight-year tenure. Her talent was recognized with an invitation from famed composer/conductor, Marvin Hamlisch, performing with Hamlisch as a guest of honor at the Kuwaiti embassy. As a child in Canada, Orchard learned to play the fiddle and has used these diverse talents, collaborating with conductor Byron Stripling and singer songwriter, Andrew Lipke.

Peter Fung, a Pittsburgh-born pianist, began his musical journey studying classical piano under Taras Filenko through high school. During this time, he discovered a passion for jazz and continued exploring it at the University of Pittsburgh. Though he did not major in music, Peter took every opportunity to refine his jazz piano through improvisation classes, performing with jazz combo bands, and playing in Pitt’s Afropop Ensemble. After graduating in 2023, he founded the Broad Street Collective, a group of musicians and friends he met at Pitt who share a passion for jamming and making music together. Inspired by Pittsburgh’s vibrant jazz scene and local jam sessions, Peter sought to bring the group to the stage. The group secured its first gig in May of 2024, and under Peter’s leadership, the ensemble has since performed at venues across Pittsburgh and released a few original records, while expanding its network of local musicians.

About Your Visit: 

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