The program ‘Finding Gravity’ is a project by the pianist Hanna Shybayeva (Belarus), the cellist Maya Fridman (Russia) and the percussionist Konstantin Napolov (Ukraine). The three musicians have lived and worked in the Netherlands for a long time, but still feel strongly connected to their native countries, where life has been completely turned upside down.

Selecting and performing existing repertoire, which is often little known in Western Europe, is important to us, but we find it even more urgent to stimulate the writing of new work by the current generation of composers. We want to play their work, but also give the composers the floor, in interviews and presentations (live and online). This way we can show that music from Ukraine or Belarus is just as valuable as the music from Russia that is better known to the general public. It is needed. Because for years Belarusian and Ukrainian music was wrongly seen as nothing more than an addition to Russian musical life: music from the periphery. One of the core goals of our Music Infusion project by “Finding Gravity” is to show that the three music cultures are completely equal.

Unfortunately, the war also drove people apart and led to fear, denial of other cultures and even censorship. We believe that art should be a beacon of light for society. That is why we want to introduce a wide audience to the three cultures from three neighboring countries, which are close to each other, but are also autonomous, with their own character. We believe it is important to resist the cultural separation that has now arisen. We not only organize concerts, but also discussions, open mics and symposiums. We want to collaborate with various universities and invite expert journalists, cultural scientists and politicians to have an open dialogue and discussion with the public and with each other. To enrich us with expert information, personal experiences and the exchange of opinions.

Unfortunately, we can no longer say that art and music are outside politics. Political decisions have a direct impact on our society, including on the lives of the many artists and musicians from Ukraine, Belarus and Russia. The vast majority longs for peace, democracy, and cooperation. We want to show how rich our cultures are and create opportunities for new pieces and collaborations. In this way we can be the beacon of light with which we can continue to inspire others.

Programme:

Victoria Vita Poleva – Mono no aware for cello, percussion and piano 

Dimitri Smolsky – Game of light for piano solo 

Alexey Kurbatov – Sonata for cello and piano op.36, no. 2 

Kanstantin Yaskou – Cherry Blossom for piano solo 

Maxim Kolomiiets – Reflection of emptiness for percussion and piano 

Meredi – Finding Gravity for cello, percussion and piano