Bohdana Frolyak

Composer

“The scoring … is sumptuous but restrained, with moments of reflection that melt into scarcely audible breaths, like wind in the corn”

The Guardian, 2023

Biography

The Ukrainian composer Bohdana Frolyak is, as you read this, living in a war-torn country. More specifically, in Lviv. There she’s completing what will be a world premiere, and we are immensely proud to have her at this year’s festival.

She is an A-list composer. In 2023 she also had a world premiere, performed during the First Night of The Proms on BBC.

 

The road leading to a status as one of Ukraine’s great modern composers has mainly been travelled in Lviv, which is considered Ukraine’s cultural capital. In recent years, the rest of Europe has opened its eyes to a composer who handles both large orchestral compositions, and small and intimate choral works.

 

During the festival, there will be a world premiere of her special commission, …знов співатимуть життя… (Will sing life again). The work is based on a poem written by the author Victoria Amelina who was killed in 2023 only 37 years old. It is during crises that we truly understand the importance of culture. That is why we are immensely proud to welcome Bohdana to this year’s festival.