Individual residencies / Olot
EVGENIA MARCHUK
From Wednesday, 13 September 2023 to Thursday, 21 September 2023
Bio
Evgenia Marchuk is a Ukrainian composer, pianist, organist, cultural figure.
Member of the National Union of Composers of Ukraine. Laureate of international composition competitions, participant of international music festivals: "Kyiv Music Fest", "Season Premieres", "Musical Imprezas of Ukraine", etc., as a composer and performer (piano, organ).
Since 2016, she is the director of the international festival of academic music "Musical Imprezas of Ukraine". Since 2018, she is the head of the public organization "ImprezaTerra". Website: miukraine.org
Teacher and soloist of the organ hall of Cherkasy Music College.
She graduated Kharkiv National University of Arts and have internship in Krakow, Poland, 2016; in Gdansk, Sopot, Gdynia, Poland, 2019; on the island of Veliki Brijuni, Croatia, 2022.
Her compositions include works of various forms and genres, but she sees the meaning of today's life in the treatment of compatriots traumatized by the war with music.
Project
My country, Ukraine, is in a terrible time, in a brutal war with an aggressor country. Since the spring of 2022, my musical team and I have become volunteers and organizers of new music projects. Our main goal is the psychological support of the civilian population, displaced persons and especially children. These are music therapy activities that we often conduct with psychologists.
In the fall of 2022 I became a student of music therapy with the brilliant Nigel Osborne (United Kingdom). I dream from this moment about: to write an opera for children for the participation of children.
Opera is a synthetic genre that is most suitable for the implementation of new tasks, for solving problems of the mental health of adults and children. That's why I want to be a composer of children's operas performed on stage. After all, children should also have the opportunity to search for the main meaning of life through the topics that concern them and the dreams that they want to implement, in the fabulous genre of academic art - opera.
So, my new work is the children's opera "The Pirate Princess" based on the libretto of the Ukrainian poet Jacques Jabier. This is a story about a little girl who dreams of travel, freedom, peace and joy of life. And this is also a story about friendship, loyalty and courage.
The premiere is planned in Cherkasy as part of an international festival “Music Imprezas of Ukraine”.
Partners: Cherkasy Music College, Cherkasy Academic Music and Drama Theater, I. Kulyka City Cultural Center, National Union of Composers of Ukraine.
The opera is divided into 3 acts. The performers are 4 soloists, a children's choir and a chamber theater orchestra. It is designed for family viewing.
My native country, Ukraine, is currently going through terrible times. Inside the country, every minute and second of every Ukrainian can be their last – even small children understand this. It is scary and motivating at the same time! It's scary to feel so close to death around you. It is motivating to understand that you are surrounded by courageous, brave hearts that will hold the sky above you as long as they have the strength.
My profession as a musician is not special, and it isn't important during the war. But my discovery of a new science – music therapy – was a small first step to a great cause of saving human souls! Therefore, the artistic residency Faberllull in Olot became an important support and added new meaning to the new project – children's opera – for me, for the children's audience of our country as a whole. This contribution from Faberllull at the start of the creative process!
I express my sincere thanks and admiration to the entire team of the residency, especially: Pepa, Ana Isabel, Helga, Christian, Joan, everyone! For constant care, sincere care, love! For organizing meetings and art events, joyful optimistic mornings and warm delicious evenings! My heart remains with you!
