“It is important to me to present works to the audience that are in part unknown or even forgotten,” says the Ukrainian mdw student Anastasiia Skovliuk about her concert series that she was able to realise through an Artists Solidarity Program Europe scholarship. This initiative by Austria’s Federal Ministry for European and International Affairs supports artists from the European cultural region who are threatened by war and repression. The piano student conceived a series of three recitals with the title “Reminiscence — Moment — Future from Memory”, in which the past, present, and future are addressed in a multifaceted manner through the performance of works by Ukrainian composers of the twentieth and twenty-first century. The young musician feels a great responsibility with this project: “As a conveyor of this music, it is up to me how it is received. As a Ukrainian pianist living abroad, it is very important for me to show the many aspects of our culture and to let people hear this music.”

In addition to solo piano pieces, every evening focuses on a chamber music work. At the successful concert that started off the series on 17 April, “Reminiscence”, it was the composition “Ukrainian Poem” for violin and piano by Yevhen Stankovych. Anastasiia’s artistic partner on that evening was the young Canadian-Ukrainian violinist Matviy Vinh-Kim Thach, who has been studying at the mdw since 2024.

The second part of the concert series, “Moment”, on 29 April, will feature works by the Ukrainian composer Valentin Silvestrov, including “Epitaphium” for viola and piano, which Anastasiia will perform with the Ukrainian violist and mdw student Sofia Potipaka. “It is a monumental work,” says the pianist. “For me, it reflects the theme of the recital: finding oneself in a moment and becoming aware of one’s entire significance.” A highlight of the concert on 29 April will be the first performance of “Kolyadka” by the Ukrainian mdw composition student Sonia Lozina, who in her works explores Ukrainian mythology. In “Kolyadka”, old Ukrainian symbols and traditions honouring the ancient Ukrainian goddess of the sky, Kolyada, are depicted.

The third recital, on 22 May, provides a perspective for the future. “Future from Memory: the title alludes to the idea that the future cannot be predicted, but is dependent on the past and present,” explains Anastasiia. The centrepiece of the programme is Valentin Silvestrov’s chamber music work “Sonata Post Scriptum”, for violin and piano (violin: Matviy Vihn-Kim Tach). As Anastasiia says, “In our communication, the most important things often come at the end under PS. I chose this piece for what it expresses: that the most crucial things occur regardless of what is currently happening in our life, and ultimately, everything turns out well.”

The student conducted intensive research to find suitable compositions. It was a task that she greatly enjoyed, although it was difficult at times to obtain the sheet music from Ukrainian libraries and archives, and there were often no recordings she could listen to in order to prepare for the performances. Anastasiia approached some of the composers herself: “It is important to establish a connection to the composers whose works you want to perform,” she explains. Collaborating on projects and creating connections is in general a primary concern for Anastasiia in her work. She particularly stresses the role played her professor, Anna Malikova, who served as a mentor for the project and supported her in developing ideas. Anastasiia has been studying piano performance with Malikova in the bachelor’s programme since 2022, and says: “I am thankful that I was able to meet all these people at the mdw—not only to obtain knowledge but also to feel a connection.”

Anastasiia, who was born in 2002, began playing piano at the age of seven—relatively late compared with her fellow students. A piano teacher who was a friend of the family suggested to Anastasiia’s parents that she take piano lessons. They agreed, and Anastasiia’s musical journey began. At the age of ten, she started studying piano at the Kyiv State Music Lyceum, which required her to move from her city of Zhytomyr—some 140 km west of Kyiv and, as Anastasiia proudly adds, “also the native city of the pianist Sviatoslav Richter”—to Kyiv. In 2019, she began studying piano and harpsichord at Kyiv’s Ukrainian National Academy of Music. Because of Russa’s war of aggression against Ukraine, she fled to Vienna in 2022. She completed her master’s degree at the National Academy of Music in 2025 through distance learning.

In her further career, Anastasiia would like to be able to participate in additional exciting projects and continue to make new musical discoveries she can then share with audiences. “I’m someone who is very eager to learn, and I want to find out a lot about the works, the composers, and their time,” says the talented pianist, whose further musical journey we can look forward to.

Text: Isabella Gaisbauer