Heinali & Yasia present Гільдеґарда

Recording under the Heinali moniker, Ukrainian composer and sound artist Oleh Shpudeiko uses the modular synthesizer to help him reimagine early music, reconciling the past with the present and modern technology with sacred logic. He's penned music for various games, films, installations and performances, and in 2020 his solo album 'Madrigals' was shortlisted for the Shevchenko National Prize. For this special premiere performance, Shpudeiko will team up with composer, flautist and singer Yasia Saienko to bring the music of 12th century abbess, philosopher and mystic Hildegard von Bingen into a new era. Marrying Ukrainian folk singing and singular modular synthesis techniques, 'Гільдеґарда' amplifies the paradoxical physicality of Hildegard's writing, using it as a mirror for contemporary events to reflect and process wartime experiences.

Born in Lyiv and initially trained as a flautist, Saienko has spent the last five years developing her voice, engaging in various workshops and practices to explore the voice as an instrument. She's collaborated with actress and researcher Uliana Horbachevska on projects such as 'Ukraine – Terra Incognita', Horbachevska septet and Kolo Rayu, creating music as a solo artist and also working alongside her pianist brother Danylo. And Saienko attempts to transcend genre, stirring Ukrainian singing with jazz, electronic music and free improvisation, and treating folk songs as living, breathing material.

Гільдеґарда is commissioned by Unsound, CTM Festival, Athens Epidaurus Festival / Subset, and GMEA - Centre National de Création Musicale Albi-Tarn.