Ukrainian Music Concert, Chervona Kalyna at 2nd Street Cathedral

Chervona Kalyna - Ukrainian Music Concert

To celebrate Ukraine’s 35th Independence Anniversary, join us for an unforgettable Sunday with pianist Alexander Chaplinskiy, mezzo-soprano Galina Ivannikova, the duet Yuliya Basis (pianist) and Any Didorenko (composer, violinist), and violinist Yoonjun Hwang who bring vibrant Ukrainian music live to the stage in the program, Chervona Kalyna.

Chervona Kalyna – – Red Viburnum is one of the most prominent national symbols of Ukraine, representing life, blood, love, and the homeland.

This in-person event is perfect for anyone who loves energetic tunes and rich cultural vibes. Grab your friends and enjoy the rhythms that celebrate the heart and soul of Ukraine. Don't miss out on this awesome musical experience!

Production: Natalie Burlutskaya, Spotlight Artists

“Ukrainian music is deeply sensual and vibrant, with a striking emotional range - from intimate lament to exuberant celebration. Whether mournful or joyful, the listeners either sing along or dance, but never indifferent. Our program features Andy Didorenko, a contemporary Ukrainian composer whose lyrical writing for piano and strings brings a distinctive voice to the program. Alexander Chaplinskiy presents works by Serge Bortkievicz. Galina Ivannikova performs Ukrainian folk pieces as well as Shinkarka’s Song from Alexander Rodin’s opera Kateryna that we premiered in our previous production, Ukrainian Rhapsody.” - Natalie Burlutskaya

Natalie Burlutskaya is a New York City–based producer, curator, artist manager, and co-founder of Spotlight Artists, a production initiative presenting opera, classical music, crossover programs, and multidisciplinary performances. She is also the founder of RE:ARTISTE International Art Organization, an arts platform supporting emerging and mid-career artists through exhibitions, programming, and professional development. An NYU Certified Art Business Professional with an MBA in Management of an Organization, Burlutskaya brings expertise in arts marketing, public relations, artist development, and cross-disciplinary production. Since 2019, she has produced concerts, galas, operatic scenes, and collaborations with visual artists; her projects have been recognized by outlets including OperaWire and BroadwayWorld.

Performers

A 2026 Puffin Foundation Grant recipient for popularization of Ukrainian music, pianist Alexander Chaplinskiy was dubbed “The Rock Star Pianist” by Operawire. Since his move to the United States in 2017, Chaplinskiy has appeared in concerts from classical to jazz. In 2024, Chaplinskiy launched 'Music Journeys', an educational concert project showcasing rare, forgotten, and under-represented music. Among those works is music by Ukrainian composer Serge Bortkiewicz. Three compositions from Bortkiewicz’s cycle Esquisses de Crimée, Op. 8 (1908) will be performed in the Chervona Kalyna concert. Chaplinskiy has been featured as a special guest artist at a number of charitable events in support of Ukrainian national sovereignty.

Ukrainian-American mezzo-soprano Galina Ivannikova is known for her rich, lustrous voice as well as for her passionate dramatic portrayals. Bruce Michael Gelbert of NY Art Review mentioned: “Ivannikova’s timbre was ruby in color, her chest register aptly gusty, and her emotion pitch-perfect. She possessed a big glorious Verdi voice reminiscent of the Golden Age tradition.”

A New York-based violinist and composer Andy Didorenko was born in Dnepropetrovsk, Ukraine, to a family of professional violinists. He took his first violin lessons with his parents and made his debut with an orchestra at the age of 10. He earned his graduate and postgraduate degrees from Moscow Tchaikovsky Conservatory. From 1999 to 2004, Didorenko lived in Taiwan where he taught, performed, and debuted as a composer. Since moving to New York in 2006, Andy has performed as a soloist and chamber musician and served on the faculty of UNIS, Kaufman Music Center, and 92 Street Y. Most of his works have been premiered, published, and recorded in the US. Among his compositions are virtuoso pieces for solo violin, a double concerto, and various chamber works.

Yuliya Basis, a New York-based pianist and educator, has been teaching private piano at the United Nations International School and at the British International School. Basis earned her Master's Degree at Moscow Tchaikovsky Conservatory. In 2002-2003, she taught piano in Kaohsiung, Taiwan, worked for American Language Center in Moscow in 2005-2006, and served on the faculty of The Piano School of NYC from 2006 to 2010. Besides teaching, she also loves collaborative piano: she has worked as an accompanist at Kaufman Music Center for over 15 years and appeared in recitals at numerous New York City venues, as well as abroad. An avid chamber musician, she is featured on two CDs with her husband, Ukrainian-American violinist and composer Andy Didorenko.

YoonJung Hwang is a Korean-born violinist and violist based in New York City, with performances at The United Nations, Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, Birdland, and Elbphilharmonie in Hamburg, Germany. She has appeared with ensembles at festivals such as Aspen Music Festival, Lake Tahoe Music Festival, and the Next Festival of Emerging Artists. She plays with the Association of Dominican Classical Artists, Washington Heights Chamber Orchestra as a violinist and a violist. Yoon Jung is a teaching artist with the Bronx Arts Ensemble and the Early Childhood Path to Strings Program, and serves on the faculty of the Washington Heights Community Conservatory of Fine Arts. She studied at the Aaron Copland School of Music and the Manhattan School of Music, and previously held an adjunct faculty position at NYU.