Ukrainian Village Carols and their Choral Arrangements with Dr Marika Kuzma

Join us in learning about the origins of Ukrainian "koliadky" with Dr. Marika Kuzma and songs taught by Ukrainian Village Voices members!

Get into the holiday spirit by learning about the origins and evolution of koliadky! This workshop will delve into the rich tradition of these songs with a focus on the influential yet underappreciated composer Kyrylo Stetsenko. It will highlight his significant role alongside contemporaries Mykola Leontovych and Oleksandr Koshetz, emphasizing their combined efforts as composers, ethnographers, and political figures. Attendees will learn about the origins and sources of koliada melodies, rooted in pre-Christian traditions.

Join us on Sunday, November 17, for a combined lecture and song-learning in preparation for the holiday season!

is an internationally recognized conductor and scholar in choral music. Her recently published book on Ukrainian Christmas/New Year’s carols—both an anthology and a cultural companion—is the first of its kind in English or Ukrainian. Currently, she is completing a recording as a complement to the book. In December, she will lead a concert of Handel's Messiah in North Carolina and a concert of Ukrainian Christmas music in Portland, OR and Seattle, WA.

Marika grew up in Hartford, CT in a close-knit Ukrainian diaspora community. Ukrainian songs and hymns were among the first music she sang with her family at home and in their Ukrainian Catholic church choir. Throughout her career—on concert stages, in recordings, and in the printed word—she has aimed to build bridges between cultures. As a conductor who has performed a wide array of international music, she is in a unique position to contextualize Ukrainian choral music within global choral repertoires. Marika now lives in Connecticut and engages in various creative work in music, film, and theater. Since the full-scale war began, she has led many concerts and poetry readings—at the New Haven Festival of Arts and Ideas, the Berkeley Early Music Festival, among others—to raise funds and raise awareness of Ukrainian culture.

Host or Publisher Ukrainian Village Voices