Voices of Winter: Ukrainian Koliadky and Schedrivky

Get ready for the upcoming holiday season as ethnomusicologist Inna Kovtun teaches carols from the traditions of Koliada and Schedry Vechir!
About this Event

Join Ukrainian Village Voices for a workshop on winter songs and carols with Ukrainian musician and ethnomusicologist Inna Kovtun. Get ready for the upcoming holiday season as Inna teaches traditional village-style Ukrainian carols and songs from the traditions of Koliada and Schedryy Vechir.

Inna Kovtun is one of the leading authorities on traditional Ukrainian folk music and a master of folklore and ethnography. She is an ethno-singer, musicologist, songwriter, teacher, collector, and researcher of ancient traditions and folklore. She has been the artistic director and leader of the folk band Rozhanytsia, deputy general director of the Ukrainian Academic Municipal Brass Orchestra, soloist of the international ethno project EDK, and soloist of the ethno-rock band Astarta.

Inna has collected over one thousand unique, authentic Ukrainian, Moldavian, Bulgarian, and Tatar songs from her research expeditions. She has researched the history of the life of the Ukrainian people, traditional rites, dances, and fairy tales. Inna has performed concerts and taught workshops on Ukrainian folklore, folk songs, and traditional dances in many European countries, as well as the Baltic states, in Georgia, Great Britain, Hong Kong, Turkey, Israel, Canada, and the United States. She was the artistic director of the premier Ukrainian academic folklore and ethnogaphic ensemble Kalyna.

Shortly after the start of the full-scale war, Inna and her daughter came to the U.S., where she continues to perform and teach master classes nationwide. In addition, she organizes events and master classes to raise awareness and provide support for Ukraine. Last year she was awarded the Taproot Fellowship grant.

She founded and currently manages the first Ukrainian theater in Portland, Oregon, "I ♥ Ukraine." She is also the Music Director of the children’s ensemble Singing Dawn / Blue-Yellow. Inna collaborates and performs with professional American musicians and ensembles such as Cappella Romana, Hrai More, Kitka, Jon Durant, Valentyn Lysenko, Michael Caruso, and others.

She is recording new music and has released a new album titled "Burning Fires." She performs at festivals and concerts and helps raise funds to support the Ukrainian military. Furthermore, Inna is a qualified mental health professional and currently serves as the Director of Health Equity and Culture at D.A.W.N., an Oregon-based nonprofit organization that provides tactical aid to Ukraine and supports cultural initiatives, mental health, and wellness both in Ukraine and in the U.S.