CONCERT | Notes of Resilience

The Italian Cultural Institute commemorates the fourth anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine through the universal language of music. Italian-Ukrainian violinist Anastasyia Petryshak and pianist Lorenzo Meo will perform a concert entitled Notes of Resilience. They will play works by the most renowned Ukrainian composer, Myroslav Skoryk as well as pieces by other composers  highlighting the connection between Ukraine, Europe, and the United States.

Music is a universal language that unites cultures, traditions, and generations. This concert, performed by Anastasiya Petryshak, a binational Italian-Ukrainian violinist, and Lorenzo Meo, an Italian pianist, celebrates musical bridges between Ukraine, Italy, and the United States, reflecting the cultural dialogue that links these countries and commemorating the 250th anniversary of the United States. It is also an opportunity to reflect on the values of resilience, peace, and memory, coinciding with the somber anniversary of the beginning of the war in Ukraine.

We open the program with Three Pieces by Myroslav Skoryk, a symbolic figure in contemporary Ukrainian music. The Melody from The High Pass evokes poignant inner landscapes; the Carpathian Rhapsody, in the virtuosic spirit of Liszt, celebrates the strength of tradition; while the Spanish Dance, from The Stone Ruler, brings vibrant life and color, bearing witness to resilience through music.

Next is Italian master Nino Rota, with his Sonata for Violin and Piano and the Improvvisi. His works weave melancholy and irony, evoking complex and profound inner worlds. His music speaks to the heart and celebrates the capacity of culture to unite people, even through the challenges of history.

The concert concludes with the Sonata for Violin and Piano by John Corigliano, a contemporary American composer. This piece, with its vivid and engaging language, represents a musical dialogue between past and present, virtuosity and introspection, embodying the spirit of sharing, friendship, and hope that this concert aims to celebrate. Each piece in this program is a bridge: between countries, cultures, and generations; between memory and hope. Notes of Resilience is an invitation to listen, reflect, and celebrate the universal power of music as a tool for dialogue, unity, and resilience.

Program

Musical Bridges between Ukraine, Italy, and the United States

ANASTASIYA PETRYSHAK, VIOLIN
LORENZO MEO, PIANO

Myroslav Skoryk
Three Pieces

1. Melody – from The High Pass

2. Carpathian Rhapsody – in the style of Franz Liszt

3. Spanish Dance – from The Stone Ruler

Nino Rota
Sonata for Violin and Piano

1. Allegretto cantabile con moto

2. Largo sostenuto

3. Allegro assai moderato

Nino Rota
Improvviso in D minor

Nino Rota
Improvviso (A Sentimental Devil)

Amy Beach
3 Compositions for Violin and Piano, Op. 40

1. La Captive

2. Berceuse

3. Mazurka

Biography:

Anastasiya Petryshak is one of the most refined violinists on the international music scene. Trained under Salvatore Accardo at the Walter Stauffer Academy in Cremona, she has developed a deep connection with the great tradition of Italian violin making. At a very young age, she embarked on a brilliant solo career that has taken her to perform in the world’s most prestigious venues — from the Sala Santa Cecilia in Rome to the Dubai Opera — collaborating with world-renowned conductors and orchestras.

Since 2010, she has been a permanent musical partner of Andrea Bocelli, with whom she has shared stages across all five continents, becoming an ambassador of Italian musical excellence worldwide. Her discography with Sony Classical, including the albums Amato Bene and Ange Terrible, reflects an artistic pursuit that combines technical virtuosity with profound expressiveness.

Anastasiya has had the privilege of playing more than sixty historic instruments, authentic symbols of Italy’s cultural heritage, and has also taken part in scientific projects in collaboration with academic institutions. She has performed on the legendary violin Il Cannone by Niccolò Paganini, interpreting Violin Concerto No. 1 with the Orchestra Carlo Felice at the Teatro Carlo Felice in Genoa.

In Italy, she has won numerous competitions dedicated to the violin and classical music and has received prestigious honors, including the title of “European Personality in Classical Music,” the International “Profilo Donna” Award, and the “Female Excellence – Miretta Levis Sarasso” Prize.

Alongside her concert career, she is deeply committed to teaching: she is a faculty member at the Yamaha Music School in Zurich and regularly gives international masterclasses, passing on the Italian tradition and excellence to new generations of musicians.

Lorenzo Meo, Italian pianist and composer, intertwines the classical tradition with the expressive explorations of contemporary music. Appreciated for the intensity and clarity of his pianistic language, he stands out for a personal synthesis that combines formal complexity with expressiveness.

His repertoire ranges from Baroque and Classical music to new music, with particular attention to less frequently explored paths and to the promotion of contemporary works. He made his debut performing Rachmaninov’s Op. 18 and Mozart’s K. 491 concertos, and has since appeared in prestigious venues such as the Sala Santa Cecilia at the Auditorium Parco della Musica and the Palazzo del Quirinale in Rome, the Cité de la Musique in Strasbourg, and Carnegie Hall in New York.

He is the dedicatee of numerous compositions and a highly regarded interpreter of Jaan Rääts, whose works he has premiered and recorded in two albums, including the first-ever performances in Italy and the United States of Piano Concertos Nos. 2 and 3.

Together with violinist Anastasiya Petryshak, he has recently recorded an album for Sony Music featuring works by Debussy, Ravel, and Messiaen. A graduate of the Bologna Conservatory, he furthered his studies at the National Academy of Santa Cecilia in Rome and at the Zurich University of the Arts (ZHdK). As a composer, he has developed a minimalist and introspective language, characterized by subtle nuances and suspended atmospheres.