HCMF, the UK’s largest international festival of new and experimental music, will present a Ukrainian programme. Ukrainian performances will take place in Huddersfield from 18 to 27 November as part of the UK/Ukraine Season of Culture.

Photo: Chornobyldorf. Archaeological opera

Returning to a full-fledged 10-day format for the first time since 2019, HCMF 2022 continues to lead the way for contemporary music and new sounds in the UK this November. Featuring World and UK Premieres in abundance – simultaneously unsettling, imaginative and politically expressive. The festival presents approximately 50 events – including concerts, music-theatre, dance, multimedia, talks and film.

The hard-hitting multimedia opera ‘Chornobyldorf’ is an opening of this year’s festival, сreated by Ukrainian composers Roman Grygoriv and Illia Razumeiko. This award-winning show combines folk and classical singing with theatre, dance, video and unique musical instruments and examines the impact of nuclear power on our world. Watch a video teaser here.

Also, on the festival’s first day, Volodymyr Voyt and Solomiya Moroz will perform a ‘String Air Synthesis’ — composed and improvised pieces in microtonal and even temperament for Kharkiv-style bandura and flute. Volodymyr Voyt and Solomiya Moroz started playing together through a shared interest in contemporary and electronic music, although their instruments and musical backgrounds could not be from more different worlds.

On other days of the festival in Huddersfield, listeners will also hear the works of Ukrainian composers Anna Korsun and Maxim Shalygin performed by the Riot Ensemble.

Read a detailed program and purchase tickets here. 

The Ukrainian programme at the festival is presented in partnership with the Huddersfield Contemporary Music Festival, as part of the UK/Ukraine Season of Culture, created jointly by the British Council and the Ukrainian Institute.