Soundstreams Will Host IN TERRA PAX, Curated by Anna Pidgorna

Lawrence Cherney, Founding Artistic Director of Soundstreams, has announced the program for its final mainstage concert of 2026, In Terra Pax taking place on Saturday, May 9 at 7:30 p.m, at the Jane Mallett Theatre (27 Front St E.). Visit Soundstreams.ca for more information.

In Terra Pax (Peace On Earth) is a powerful reflection on war, loss, and resilience. Curated by Anna Pidgorna - winner of the Soundstreams New Voices Curator Mentorship Program - the concert features Pidgorna as both composer and vocalist, Ukrainian pianist Anna Sagalova, violist Steven Dann, and Ensemble Soundstreams conducted by Tania Miller.

At the heart of this program is Black Crow, a Soundstreams world premiere commission by Pidgorna for voice, piano, and string orchestra, inspired by the poetry of the late Victoria Amelina, rooted in the Ukrainian tradition of female lamentation. Benjamin Britten's iconic Lachrymae for solo viola and string orchestra, along with works by Tõnu Kõrvits, Kelly-Marie Murphy, and Oleksiy Voytenko will round out the program. The concert will also feature projections of haunting Ukrainian landscapes by acclaimed photographer Yevhen Samuchenko.

Said curator, composer and performer Anna Pidgorna: The Latin phrase "in terra pax" is usually translated as "peace on earth," carrying a pacifist message, but the preposition "in"can also be translated as "in" rather than "on" in English. Peace in earth. When faced with aggression, peace is not a passive state, but an active resistance requiring sacrifice, not just on the battlefield but in everyday life. For many, resistance ends in earth. The Ukrainian tradition of lamentation or gholosinnya is a reckoning, not just with death, but with the life ahead. In Victoria Amelina's text the lamenter plants the names of her perished sisters in the soil, to grow new sisters who will sing life back onto the earth. This concert program laments and honours all those who have resisted aggression in whatever way they could. Those who remain must continue to sing life."

Added Soundstreams Artistic Director Lawrence Cherney: "There was never a more important time to explore the rich musical heritage of Ukrainian culture. Many of us feel helpless in the face of the unconscionable invasion of Ukraine by Russia and the carnage and suffering from war on a global scale. By giving voice to important Ukrainian stories and traditions, we too can play some part in fostering resistance and resilience among all oppressed peoples."