The Bells: a tribute to ukraine
Instrumentation: solo piano version; 4-hands piano version
Duration: 5 minutes
Composed: 2024
My wife, Dasha Koltunyuk, was born in Odesa and has always felt her Ukrainian heritage strongly; it has become even more pronounced since Russia invaded her sovereign homeland in 2022.
To honor the strength and resilience of Ukrainians — who, at the time of this writing, continue to struggle for their survival and freedom — I composed The Bells, a meditation on themes from Ukrainian composer Mykola Leontovich’s Shchedryk (a traditional Ukrainian New Year celebration song that was later adapted into “Carol of the Bells”) and the Ukrainian national anthem (Shche ne vmerla Ukraiyina).
Слава Україні!