A Pianist’s Tribute: Nadia Shpachenko brings Ukrainian music to Chapel Hill

On Tuesday night, UNC’s Department of Music presented “Unbreakable Spirit: Music of Resilience,” featuring guest artist Nadia Shpachenko. 

Held at Moeser Auditorium, Shpachenko performed nine pieces, including music linked to Ukraine and the ongoing war. The performance included compositions that evoked the atmosphere of a Ukrainian bomb shelter, works by Ukrainian composers and other pieces that addressed the current conflict.

A grand piano sat at the center of the stage, illuminated by bright lights. The audience was filled with a mix of students, children, parents and other community members. 

Lily Potthast, a senior double-majoring in management and society and Russian language and culture, said that she is a pianist herself, and she fell in love with classical music after playing in the jazz band at her high school. 

Potthast said she decided to come to the recital because of her fascination and love for piano, and she was interested in hearing the Ukrainian pieces Shpachenko had picked out.

“I think it's just kind of like the experience of sitting in live music,” Potthast said in relation to what she wanted to take away from the recital. “I just love to sit and close my eyes and just let the sound overwhelm me and come away with it just like with feelings or maybe even images that you get from the music that you wouldn't get from anywhere else.” 

Clara Yang, associate professor of music and head of keyboard studies at UNC, said that these recitals are intended to bring brilliant artists to Chapel Hill and to the community. 

“I want people to be exposed to new music, different programming, innovative programming ideas, programs that inspire conversation shows and discussions and artists who think beyond the traditional norms for the piano repertoire,” Yang said.

Grammy Award winner Nadia Shpachenko, the featured pianist at the recital, said that she has been very active in supporting Ukraine since the Ukrainian war started in 2022.

“I perform a lot of fundraising concerts for Ukraine humanitarian aid,” Shpachenko said. “I play music by composers. A lot of us are just trying to represent Ukraine and Ukrainian music.”

In terms of how she balances emotional expression and technical skill while performing her pieces, Shpachenko said she has an idea of the kind of emotion she wants to express, researches the piece and sometimes works with the composer to get a feel for the expression they were imagining. She said that she uses technique to convey this emotion.  

During the recital, Shpachenko said she was in the “zone.” She said she connected with the music and the war because her dad lives in the war zones in Ukraine. Shpachenko wanted to connect with the audience and Ukrainians through her music. 

Shpachenko said one thing she hopes the audience took away from her performance and pieces was inspiration to listen to more music by Ukrainian composers. 

“Those who are pianists, students, faculty members, I was hoping that maybe they will enjoy the pieces and would like to play them as well, because the more people that play with music, the more the culture is shared,” she said. 

@dthlifestyle | lifestyle@dailytarheel.com