Skoryk at the Daines

Potentially over 1,700 people will hear the first movement of Skoryk’s Concerto no. 3 for Piano and Strings this February for the first time. Since the 2022 full-scale invasion of Ukraine, this work has taken on additional meaning for many Ukrainians. The first movement, entitled Prayer, has become the collective prayer of a nation pleading for healing, unity, and reconciliation. Christopher Chapman, along with the Utah State University Symphony Orchestra, will present this piece as part of the orchestra’s annual concerto night.

While visiting the United States in the late 1990s, Myroslav Skoryk composed this work in his neo-modern style, blending modern compositional approaches, harmonies, and both Ukrainian and American folk traditions in unexpected ways. Commissioned by the Ukrainian-American conductor, Orest Kovaliv, each of its three movements bears an English subtitle, respectively: “Prayer,” “Dream,” and “Life.” Its world premiere took place in an early form for string quartet in 1998 in Connecticut, with the Leontovich String Quartet and the composer at the piano. Rescored for orchestra in preparation for its publication in 2015, the concerto has retained its intimate feel and deep Ukrainian roots.

Find additional information on the USU Calendar, and purchase tickets online or at the Box Office in the Chase Fine Arts building.