It can only be left to the imagination what it might be like to have family and friends in the heart of battle torn Ukraine and yet teach school in America and also perform regionally as a culture extension of that special country. That was the impression the Spy had when we talked to Andrei Pidkivka yesterday while he was on a lunch break from his teaching job a few days before he and his colleagues of the Gerdan World Music Ensemble are set to perhaps at the Avalon Theatre in Easton.
With a mother still living in the heart of Kyiv, as well as cousins who have elected to stay in that city to use the medical degrees to provide for the injured of this senseless Russian invasion, Andrei Pidkivka faces every day and every night checking news reports while he tries to reach loved ones by cell phone. And at the same time, he and his fellow musicians continue to book concerts, like the Kennedy Center last week, to keep the spirit and culture of Ukraine front and center with regional audiences.
That continues on Friday night when his acclaimed Gerdan Ensemble of Ukrainian musicians and dancers will perform a benefit the people of Ukraine on Friday, March 18 from 7 to 8:00 p.m. at the historic Avalon Theatre in Easton, Md. Limited seating is available with a $10 suggested donation and advanced registration at www.bitly.com/gerdantickets.
The Spy talked to Andrei today about the events in the Ukraine and plans for the Avalon performance in the interview above.
Guests will be invited to share in a memorable hour of music and dance with Gerdan in support of the ensemble’s wish that “Ukrainian children never experience the horror they are going through now—and to do everything possible to bring back a peaceful sky for them.”
The event is presented and organized by Carpe Diem Arts, with funds raised in support of relief efforts in the wake of Ukraine’s humanitarian crisis. Donations will go directly to United Help Ukraine—a trusted humanitarian relief organization helping to meet the immediate need for food and water, hygiene kits, shelter, and trauma therapy for Ukrainian children and families.
Gerdan is a professional music ensemble based in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area and founded by Ukrainian professional duo Solomia Gorokhivska and Andrei Pidkivka. Friday’s performance includes Gorokhivska on violin and vocals, Pidkivka on ethnic flutes, Kalin Kirilov on accordion, along with nine dancers led by the world-renowned dancer Roman Mykyta.
This one-hour program will offer a rich sampling of the classical and folk music and the dazzling dance traditions of Ukraine. Included will be Gerdan’s original arrangements of songs and instrumental music from different regions of Ukraine and Eastern Europe, with Andrei’s exotic flutes, from the small ocarina to the large fujara, and Solomia’s violin and vocals.
Closing the evening will be the traditional Ukrainian lullaby, “And the Dreams Come True,” the title cut of Gerdan’s last recording. The song is about a silver moon that guards houses where little children are sleeping and dreaming. They are dreaming about the beautiful future of Ukraine. In the last verse, the silver moon is asked if the dreams come true. The moon’s response is this: “Children will grow up, help Ukraine, and their dreams will come true.”
Donations can be made anytime by giving directly to United Help Ukraine at www.unitedhelpukraine.org or using a QR code that will be provided at the March 18 performance.
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