Music at the Institute

The Ukrainian Institute of America will host a special concert celebrating acclaimed Ukrainian composer Bohdana Frolyak, during the same week her work is featured by the New York Philharmonic’s David Geffen Hall, conducted by Dalia Stasewska. At the Institute, a distinguished ensemble — including musicians from the NY Phil, the Kennedy Center Opera House Orchestra, and faculty from Yale, Juilliard, and Oberlin — will perform Frolyak’s evocative chamber music.

Following the concert, the composer will be in conversation with Oksana Nesterenko, offering a rare opportunity to hear Frolyak reflect on her creative journey and musical vision. The evening concludes with a wine reception. 

Friday, November 7, 2025 at 7:30 PM
2 East 79th Street, New York, NY 10075

General admission: $45 / UIA Friends: $35 / UIA Members: $25

Advance registration is appreciated.

The UIA is proud to partner with, and deeply grateful for the financial support of, the Ukrainian National Women’s League of North America and the Shevchenko Scientific Society, in presenting this special event.

PROGRAM:

Three Miniatures for piano trio (1998)
Molfar for solo clarinet (2012)
Music for Ann-Gel (from the oboe concerto) (2022)
Suite for cello and piano (2008)
Venus in Furs for violin and piano (2004)
Beethoven’s Clouds No. 2 (2023)
Contrabass Dance (2013)
Goodbye, World, Goodbye for soprano and string quintet (2023)

PERFORMED BY:

Eve Gigliotti, soprano
Igor Leschishin, oboe
Alan Kay, clarinet
Duoming Ba, violin
Solomiya Ivakhiv, violin
Leah Ferguson, viola
Darrett Adkins, cello
Nina Bernat, double bass
Melvin Chen, piano
Yael Weiss, piano

ABOUT THE COMPOSER 

Bohdana Frolyak is a distinguished Ukrainian composer of chamber, symphonic, and choral works. A graduate and current professor of composition at the Mykola Lysenko Lviv National Music Academy, she studied under the renowned Myroslav Skoryk. Frolyak is a recipient of Ukraine’s highest cultural honor, the Shevchenko National Prize (2017), and numerous other national awards for her compositions, including the Orbis Terrarum symphony and her Second Symphony. Her music is regularly featured at international festivals, with performances across Europe and North America. A significant recent highlight was the world premiere of her BBC-commissioned work Let There Be Light at the 2023 BBC Proms in London, performed by the BBC Symphony Orchestra under Dalia Stasevska.

ABOUT THE PERFORMERS

Mezzo-soprano Eve Gigliotti, acclaimed for her work in both contemporary and classic repertoire, is a celebrated presence at The Metropolitan Opera. This season, she appears in the company premiere of The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay and a new production of I Puritani for the Met’s HD broadcast. A distinguished artist on the world’s leading stages, she has originated roles in premieres by composers like Nico Muhly and Missy Mazzoli. Her versatile career also encompasses celebrated symphonic engagements and innovative producing projects, solidifying her reputation as a dynamic force in modern opera.

Igor Leschishin, a native of Lviv, Ukraine, serves as Principal Oboist of the Kennedy Center Opera House Orchestra. A graduate of the Manhattan School of Music, where he studied with Joseph Robinson of the New York Philharmonic, he has performed at prestigious venues including Carnegie Hall and participated in renowned festivals such as Tanglewood. An accomplished competitor and educator, Leschishin has won first prizes in international woodwind competitions and maintains an active teaching studio.

Alan Kay is Principal Clarinetist and former Artistic Director of the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra, and Principal Clarinet with New York’s Riverside Symphony and the Little Orchestra Society. A founding member of the Windscape Quintet, he has appeared at major chamber music festivals worldwide and curated the Cape May Music Festival for 25 years. His honors include the Samuel Sanders Award, C.D. Jackson Award at Tanglewood, and the Young Concert Artists Award with the sextet Hexagon. Mr. Kay teaches at the Manhattan School of Music, Stony Brook University, and The Juilliard School, where a scholarship in his name was established.

Violinist Duoming Ba has been a member of the New York Philharmonic since 2003. A native of Beijing, she began her studies at the Central Conservatory of Music before graduating from The Curtis Institute of Music. An accomplished soloist and chamber musician, Ba has performed at major venues internationally and won several prestigious competitions, including the Music Academy of the West concerto competition.

Solomiya Ivakhiv, Professor of Violin and Viola and Head of Strings at University of Connecticut, and Professor of Violin at Longy School of Music of Bard College. Named Honored (Merited) Artist of Ukraine, her native country’s highest cultural honor (2021). Artistic Director of Music at the Institute (MATI) concert series in NYC, Artistic Director of Caspian Monday Music Festival in Greensboro, VT. Recordings for NAXOS, Brilliant Classics, and Centaur Records, featuring works of Ukrainian composers as well as Haydn, Hummel, and Mendelssohn. Champion of new music, with world premieres of works by David Ludwig, John B. Hedges, David Dzubay, Bohdan Kryvopust, Leonid Hrabovsky, Yevhen Stankovych, and Oleksandr Shchetynsky.

Violist Leah Ferguson joined the New York Philharmonic in 2018, after serving as a member of the Boston Symphony Orchestra. A dedicated chamber musician, she has performed at prestigious festivals including Music@Menlo and the Verbier Festival, collaborating with artists such as Itzhak Perlman and Joshua Bell. Ferguson holds degrees from the Cleveland Institute of Music and The Juilliard School, where she studied under mentors including Cynthia Phelps and Robert Vernon.

Cellist Darrett Adkins is a multifaceted artist renowned as a soloist, chamber musician, and dedicated educator. He serves on the faculty of The Juilliard School and the Oberlin Conservatory, where he mentors a new generation of cellists. An advocate for new music, Adkins has premiered and recorded works by major composers such as Milton Babbitt and John Zorn. He is a former member of the acclaimed International Contemporary Ensemble (ICE) and has performed extensively with the Oberlin Trio and the Daedalus Quartet, showcasing a repertoire that spans from the Baroque to the cutting-edge.

Double bassist Nina Bernat is a distinguished Avery Fisher Career Grant winner, acclaimed for her technical precision and emotive performances. Hailed as a “standout” by the Star Tribune for her concerto debut with the Minnesota Orchestra, she has also won top prizes at the CAG Elmaleh and International Society of Bassists competitions. An in-demand soloist and chamber musician, she joins the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center’s Bowers Program in 2024 and has performed as guest principal with orchestras including the Israel Philharmonic.

Pianist Melvin Chen, recognized for his compelling solo and chamber performances, balances a distinguished musical career with a formidable academic background in the sciences. He holds a doctorate in chemistry from Harvard University and a double master’s degree in piano and violin from The Juilliard School. Now the Deputy Dean of the Yale School of Music and Director of the Norfolk Chamber Music Festival, he is a central figure in musical education and curation. His acclaimed recordings for Bridge Records, including Beethoven’s “Diabelli” Variations—hailed as “a classic” by the American Record Guide—confirm his standing as a pianist of profound intellectual and artistic insight.

Pianist Yael Weiss is celebrated for her visionary interpretations and powerful communicative artistry. She is the curator of the global peace project 32 Bright Clouds: Beethoven Conversations Around the World, a groundbreaking initiative commissioning new works from conflict zones. An award-winning artist, she has performed at venues including Carnegie Hall, the Kennedy Center, and London’s Wigmore Hall, and her recordings with the Weiss-Kaplan-Stump Trio have received international critical acclaim. Born in Israel to a Ukrainian mother from Lviv, she is honored to celebrate Ukrainian culture in this evening’s performance.

ABOUT THE MODERATOR 

Oksana Nesterenko is a distinguished scholar whose work bridges musicology, legal studies, and public policy. She has built a notable academic profile in two distinct fields: as a music historian specializing in 20th and 21st-century music, and as a legal scholar and anti-corruption activist.