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, and pianist Pauline Rovkah 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. 

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.

Pauline Rovkah studied piano and music at the Special Music School and Kharkov Conservatory, Ukraine, under Mikhail Khazanovsky. After graduation she served on the faculty of Kharkov Conservatory, performed as a soloist and in chamber music ensembles, and made appearances on national television and radio. In Pittsburgh since 1991, Ms. Rovkah was coached by Eunice Norton. She performed in the concert series of the Steinway Society of Western Pennsylvania, Duquesne University, the Frick Art Museum, Chatham College, and the Pittsburgh Theological Seminary. Ms. Rovkah gave solo recitals at the Chautauqua Institution and in Peacham, Vermont. In 2000, after winning a National Competition, Pauline gave solo and chamber performances in Rome, Italy, for the Rome Festival. She conceived, organized, and performed in a number of thematic concert events at Chatham College, among which were “Nature in Music,” a part of the International Environmental Conference in 2001, “Canto do Sul,” a highlight of the Global Focus Year for South America in 2002, and “Music Without Boundaries” in 2003. Pauline Rovkah is presently the Artist in Residence and the Director of Piano program at Chatham College. She is also the Artist in Residence at Pittsburgh Theological Seminary, where she is Artistic Director of the Concert Series she has founded.

About Your Visit: 

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