Introduction
Culture is our legacy and is what links us to our ancestors, our rituals, our language, the food we eat, our dance and our music. The art we make, in particular music, helps us bypass language barriers and cultural differences, appealing directly to our emotional experiences wherever we are from. However, without cultural identity a nation or a people cannot survive. Recording forgotten or neglected music is a way of both celebrating and preserving this music for future generations.
The idea of this project formed organically over time. Portuguese pianist Francisco and British-Ukrainian violinist Sofia have been playing together since 2015, when they met as students at the Royal College of Music in London.
Now performing under the name Duo Kolar, the two musicians have increasingly become keen advocates of showcasing under-represented music, with a particular focus on Portugal and Ukraine. Both countries have rich musical histories, which have not been given their rightful pages in history books or spaces on today’s concert stages. This is partly due, in Ukraine’s case, to systematic cultural oppression by the neighbouring Russian empire, and in Portugal’s case, half a century of cultural essentialism enforced by Salazar’s dictatorial regime, as well as geographic disadvantages when compared with their central European counterparts.
The recording will be made in the concert hall at Wiltshire Live Music Centre, Bradford on Avon, in May 2025.
Repertoire to be Recorded
Myroslav Skoryk: Hutsul Triptych (arr. for violin & piano)
Borys Lyatoshynsky: Violin Sonata
Luís de Freitas Branco: Violin Sonata No. 1
Fernando Lopes-Graça: Sonatina No. 1
Yevhen Stankovych: Ukrainian Poem
Joly Braga Santos: Nocturno, Op. 1 for violin and piano
Objective
Our aim is to shine a light on unjustly neglected classical composers from these two countries so as to put them on the cultural map, as well as familiarising worldwide audiences with these composers’ names, both through live performance on concert stages and a professional studio recording. We would like our listeners to have the opportunity to discover new territories of fascinating musical history, and for some, particularly those in Ukraine and Portugal, to connect with a part of their home country’s cultural heritage which would remain otherwise unheard or lost.
We have witnessed first-hand the positive effect of live performance, especially with repertoire which bears cultural significance. By recording an album, both in physical CD and digital formats, we can reach a wider audience and thereby ensure this experience is accessible to all despite geographical and/or socio-economic limitations.
We need your help!
As freelance musicians, we are unable to finance this all by ourselves: your support would help cover the costs of venue hire, sound engineer and producer, artwork design, and the production of the physical CD.
