With roots in Ukraine and wings that span continents, soprano and multi-instrumentalist Lyudmyla Heath’s musical journey found its symphonic heart in South Africa in 2002, when South African missionaries offered to sponsor further musical training at the Joyful Noise Music School in Stellenbosch. As a former member of the eclectic ZAMAR band, Lyudmyla’s music has graced stages across the world, including Belgium, the Netherlands, Seychelles, Namibia, Bavaria, and Indonesia. She has collaborated with celebrated South African artists and produced mesmerizing Christmas and Easter music productions. Now residing in Calgary, Lyudmyla continues to share her musical gift, inspiring others with her harmonious spirit and passion for life. Her journey is a melody of exploration and learning, echoing the very essence of music itself. www.lyudmylaheath.com

A graduate of the Eastman School of Music in both vocal performance and music education, mezzo-soprano Stephania Romaniuk is honoured to serve as a teaching artist for Calgary Opera, performing, teaching in schools, and developing opera discovery programs for new audiences. She is the winner of the First International Competition of Ukrainian Retro Music and has performed with Ukrainian festivals across North America and ensembles including Toronto’s Vesnivka Choir and the Kyiv National Operetta Company in Bucha, Ukraine. Following the fully fledged invasion in February 2022, Stephania led over 30 local events to advocate and fundraise for Ukraine. Locally, she has performed most recently with the Calgary Civic Symphony (Beethoven Symphony No. 9 – Alto Soloist) and with the Calgary Opera chorus in The Marriage of Figaro, Macbeth, Carmen, and the Calgary Stampede Grandstand Show. www.stephaniaromaniuk.com

Also performing in this concert are special guest artists Oksana Yaremchuk, piano and Anastasiia Lykhosherstova,violin. Narration will be provided by Marusia Shysh. 

ProArts@Noon and One Yellow Rabbit’s High Performance Rodeo co-present “Spirit of Ukraine”, a non-traditional vocal recital of Ukrainian folk and classical songs featuring soprano and pianist Lyudmyla Heath and mezzo-soprano Stephania Romaniuk. Along with special guests, the two will share Ukrainian folk carols, powerful classical ballads, and haunting duets, which are interspersed with poetry and stories showcasing the unbreakable Spirit of Ukraine.

This concert is a proud Community Co-Presentation with the High Performance Rodeo, Calgary’ s International Festival of the Arts