Draft:Anna Kuzina-Rozhdestvenska

Anna Borysivna Kuzina-Rozhdestvenska (Ганна Борисівна Кýзіна-Рождèственська; born 14 August 1984) is a Ukrainian composer. The creative heritage of the composer is represented by works of various genres and forms – from small chamber-instrumental and chamber-vocal compositions to large-scale opuses. Many of her compositions are identified with the Neoromantic style.

Biography
Anna Kuzina-Rozhdestvenska was born on 14 August 1984 in Simferopol, in a family of engineer and poet Boris Kuzin (pseudonym, Boris Aktashev) and English teacher Nataliya Kuzina (née Latinskaya). Anna is the eldest of five children. She began showing a great interest in playing the piano from an early age and started composing music when she was 5 years old. Seeing this, her parents enrolled her in the preparatory class of a music school, where she went to the first grade in 1990.

In 1998, Anna finished the Simferopol Music School No. 1 in piano and joined the Theoretical Department of the Simferopol Musical College named after P.I. Tchaikovsky. She graduated from it externally with honours in 2002, already being a first-year student of the Tchaikovsky National Music Academy of Ukraine at the Faculty of Composition (class of professor Yevhen Stankovych). In 2006, Anna received a master's degree and then entered an assistantship-internship at the Department of Composition and Instrumentation of the same academy, graduating in 2009. In 2009-2010 she studied at the postgraduate program of the Academy at the Department of History and Theory of Culture, and at the end of 2010 joined the Kyiv Union of Composers of Ukraine.

Since March 2011, Anna has been a member of the National Union of Composers of Ukraine. In 2012 – a methodologist of the I category of the State methodical center of educational institutions of culture and arts of Ukraine under the Ministry of Culture of Ukraine, and an intern in the Central Office of the Ministry of Culture of Ukraine (Division of Educational Institutions and Science of the Department of Arts and Educational Institutions). From December 2012 to September 2014 – a chief specialist of the Division of Educational Institutions and Science, Department of Arts and Educational Institutions (Central Office of the Ministry of Culture, Ukraine).

A. Kuzina-Rozhdestvenska is a recipient of the scholarship of the President of Ukraine (2002–2006, 2008–2009), laureate of the international competitions of pianists and composers in Ukraine (2001), France (2002, 2003) and Italy (2004), and a regular participant of the international festivals "Kyiv Music Fest", "Premieres of the Season", "Kyiv Music Premieres", "Youth Music Forum" and International Easter Assembly "Spirituality Unites Ukraine".

Her works have been performed by the leading orchestral and choral ensembles and soloists in Ukraine, England, USA, Austria, Germany and Slovakia, in such places as: St. Stephen's Cathedral (Vienna, Austria), St. Michael's Golden-Domed Monastery (Kyiv, Ukraine), St. Paul's Chapel (Broadway, New York, USA), Christ Church Cathedral and St Andrew's Church (Oxford, England), Catholic church of St. Petrus and Rosary Basilica (Berlin, Germany), Hlavné námestie (Main Square of Bratislava, Slovakia), the Lysenko Column Hall of the National Philharmonic of Ukraine, the Lyudkevych Concert Hall of the Skoryk Lviv National Philharmonic, the Kharkiv State Academic Opera and Ballet Theatre named after Mykola Lysenko, the Ukrainian National Tchaikovsky Academy of Music, the Large Concert Studio of the Recording House of Ukrainian Radio, the Concert Hall of Slovak Radio Building, the National Union of Composers of Ukraine, the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, and others.

Music
Most of A. Kuzina-Rozhdestvenska's music is marked by romantic sublimity and bright solemnity, as in the Concerto for Piano and Orchestra, which became her diploma work. Along with lyrical and romantic moods, her works convey intense and deeply dramatic imagery. The composer often refers to biblical texts, which is embodied, in particular, on the pages of her choral works.

The orchestral music of the composer is marked by the predominance of large-scale opuses: Slavic Overture for brass band (2004), Concerto for Piano and Orchestra (2006), Symphony-Concerto for Viola and Orchestra (or Symphony of Forebodings, 1st version – 2007; 2nd – 2011; 3rd – 2014), oratorio In Memoria for bass, mixed choir and orchestra (2015), Breath of Life in versions for chamber, medium-sized and full-scale orchestras (2015; 2022, 2023), and oratorio Prayer for Piece for soprano, baritone, mixed choir and orchestra (2023).

Chamber-instrumental works
The chamber-instrumental genre palette is represented by works for piano ("Sonata-Fantasia", Variations on the theme of piece No. 5 from the cycle "Visions fugitives" by S. Prokofiev (2004), 12 preludes, 7 waltzes; a cycle of 50 piano miniatures titled "Melodies for the Soul", "Spring Awakening", etc.), as well as for the ensemble ("Fantasy" for Violin and Piano (2000), "Elegy" for Cello and Piano (2002), "Transience" for Violin and Piano (2013), "Melody" for Violin and Harp (2022), and other compositions). These pieces were performed by violinists Denis Karlov and Nina Shatalina, cellist Galina Viktorova and others. The piano piece "Spring awakening" was performed by the author in May 2017 in the Catholic church of St. Petrus and the Rosary Basilica (Berlin, Germany), and in the St. Martin's Church (Erfurt, Germany). All piano compositions, including the piano part in chamber-instrumental works by A. Kuzina-Rozhdestvenska, are performed primarily by the author.

Chamber-vocal works
A large part of the composer's creative output consists of chamber-vocal works: "Imminence" – a diptych for mezzo-soprano and piano based on poems by A. Akhmatova and N. Rubtsov (2001), Where are you, happiness…? – a romance for soprano and piano based on a poem by R. Gamzatov (2002), ''Where is the muse? Why are her lips in silence bound...? (or "Where art thou Muse that thou forget’st so long, to speak of that which gives thee all thy might?") – a romance for mezzo-soprano and piano on sonnet No. 100 by W. Shakespeare (2003), The Bliss of an Infeasible Dream... – a romance for bass and piano based on a poem by B. Aktashev (2007), How to preserve the breath of the scarlet rose...? (or "How with this rage shall beauty hold a plea, whose action is no stronger than a flower?") – a romance for bass and piano on sonnet No. 65 by W. Shakespeare (2008), romances for bass and piano "I will be young while I compose songs" (2002) and "Arise in a word and appear..." on a poem by R. Gamzatov (2008), "Oh sadness, oh sadness of my soul" on a poem by P. Verlaine from the cycle "Forgotten arias" of the collection "Romances without words" (2010), "If we met again" on a poem by T. Shevchenko (2013), "The day goes out like a candle-end..."'' on a poem by an unknown poet (2015). Many of these pieces, mostly created for bass and piano, were performed by Ukrainian bass Taras Shtonda.

Choral works
For a mixed choir a cappella: There is a spell in autumn early, based on a poem by F. Tyutchev (2000), Glory to You, our God based on biblical texts (2003), My voice is unto God (Psalm No. 76, 2005), God, by Your name (Psalm No. 53, 2010), Bless the Lord, O my soul – 1st version (Psalm No. 103, 2017), My God, why have You forsaken me? (Psalm No. 21, 2019); for mixed choir with instruments: Bless the Lord, O my soul – 2st version for mixed choir and Timpani (Psalm No. 103, 2017), Agnus Dei – 2nd version for mixed choir and Tubular Bells (on a liturgical text, 2022); for solo voice, mixed choir and instruments: Lord God, my Saviour! for bass, mixed choir and percussion (Psalm No. 87, 2015); for children's choir: Mother, it's already winter by Lesya Ukrainka (2018), Spring has risen by T. Shevchenko, etc. Compositions created for vocal ensemble include the 1st version of the composition Agnus Dei for SSTTB and Tubular Bells (on a liturgical text, 2022).

The above choral compositions were performed by The Choir of Trinity Wall Street (New York, USA; conductor – Stefan Parkman), a cappella group Apollo5 (London, England; founder and leader – Clare Stewart) and prominent Kyiv choral ensembles, such as the Khreschatyk Academic Chamber Choir (artistic director and conductor - Pavlo Struts, Honoured Artist of Ukraine), the Academic Choir named after P. Maiboroda of the National Radio Company of Ukraine (artistic director and chief conductor - Yuliya Tkach, Honoured Artist of Ukraine), Kyiv Chamber Choir "Credo" (conductor – Bohdan Plish, People's Artist of Ukraine), "Tauride Blagovest" (conductor – V. Nikolenko), and other choral groups.

Vocal works were performed by O. Basargina (soprano, People's Artist of Ukraine), Taras Shtonda (soloist of the Taras Shevchenko National Academic Opera and Ballet Theatre of Ukraine, People's Artist of Ukraine), Serhii Kovnir (soloist of the T. G. Shevchenko National Opera of Ukraine), Denys Vyshnia (all basses) and Lyudmyla Bakhareva (mezzo-soprano).

Slavic Overture
Slavic Overture is the composer's first orchestral work. Written for brass band, it was performed on 12 May 2004 by the State Academic Brass Band of Ukraine under the baton of the Oleksiy Roschak on the Summer stage of the Mariyinsky Park.

Concerto for Piano and Orchestra
Concerto for Piano and Orchestra was written for a triple symphony orchestra and is one of the composer's first large-scale works. It was first performed on 20 June 2006 as a diploma work by the State Academic Variety Symphony Orchestra of Ukraine (conductor – Viktor Zdorenko, People's Artist of Ukraine) at the Center of Culture and Arts of the Kyiv National Economic University, and later – on 24 December 2007 in the Lysenko Column Column Hall of the National Philharmonic of Ukraine with the personal support of the President of Ukraine Viktor Yushchenko – it was performed by the National Symphony Orchestra of Ukraine and the author (solo piano) under the direction of People's Artist of Ukraine Volodymyr Sirenko as part of the "Listen to Eternity" concert, dedicated to the orchestra's 90th anniversary.

Symphony of Forebodings
Symphony of Forebodings, or Symphony-Concerto for Viola and Orchestra, was written in 2007 for the 65th anniversary of A. Kuzina-Rozhdestvenska's pedagogue and outstanding composer, Hero of Ukraine – Yevhen Stankovych.

The premiere of this composition took place on 27 September 2008 during the international festival "Kyiv Music Fest" on the stage of the National Union of Composers of Ukraine in the version for chamber orchestra. It was performed by the National Ensemble of soloists "Kyiv Camerata" under the baton of the chief conductor, People's Artist of Ukraine Valeriy Matiukhin (soloist - Honoured Artist of Ukraine Andriy Tuchapets).

The cultural value of the work for Ukrainian musical art was emphasized by the fact of its purchase under the terms of a state order (agreement No. 11 dated 5 December 2008).

In the second version for a large symphony orchestra, the work was performed on 28 May 2012 during international festival "Premieres of the Season" by the Honoured Academic Symphony Orchestra of the National Radio Company of Ukraine under the direction of Volodymyr Sheiko (soloist – Olexander Pogorelov) on the stage of the Lysenko Column Hall of the National Philharmonic of Ukraine.

In 2014, the symphony-concerto was performed by the Academic Symphony Orchestra of Kharkiv Philharmonic "Virtuosos of Slobozhanshchina" (conductor – Honoured Artist of Ukraine Dmytro Morozov, soloist – Arkady Kornev) on the stage of the Kharkiv State Academic Opera and Ballet Theatre named after Mykola Lysenko.

The composition's third version, written for Violin and Orchestra, premiered two years after the version was created. The piece was performed on 3 October 2016 simultaneously in two different cities: in Kyiv as part of the "Kyiv Music Fest-2016" on the stage of the Great Concert Hall of the Tchaikovsky National Music Academy of Ukraine, performed by the Honoured Academic Symphony Orchestra of the National Radio Company of Ukraine under the direction of Volodymyr Sheiko (soloist – People's Artist of Ukraine Bohdana Pivnenko), and in Lviv as part of the 22nd festival "Contrasts" on the stage of the Lyudkevych Concert Hall of the Lviv National Philharmonic, performed by the Symphony Orchestra of the Opera Studio of the Lviv National Musical Academy named after Mykola Lysenko (conductor – Yurii Bervetskyi, Honored Artist of Ukraine; soloist – Anna Bura).

Starting from November 2016, this piece was repeatedly played on the TV channel "Cultura", as well as on the air of Sveriges Radio P2 in the Klassisk morgon program a sign of support for Ukraine (starting from March 2022). In April 2017, the Honoured Academic Symphony Orchestra of the National Radio Company of Ukraine made a studio recording of two versions of "Symphony of Forebodings" that were officially included in the sound recording fund of the National Radio Company of Ukraine.

In Memoria
The oratorio In Memoria for bass, mixed choir and orchestra is one of the most dramatic works of the composer, dedicated to the memory of the fallen people during the tragic events in Ukraine in 2014. The large vocal and instrumental opus, created in 2015, is based on the text of Psalm No. 87 (the first version, which refers to the same year, was written for bass, mixed choir and percussion under the name "Lord, God, my Saviour!"). In Memoria and Symphony of Forebodings (or Symphony-Concertо for Viola/Violin and Orchestra) are two compositions in which the composer tried to reflect the dramatic events taking place throughout the world, the eternal struggle between good and evil, and express the full force of the tragedy of the fall of spiritual morality.

The premiere of this large-scale work (over 100 artists of the orchestra and choir) took place on the stage of the Great Concert Hall of the Tchaikovsky National Music Academy of Ukraine on 29 September 2015 as part of the XXVI International Festival "Kyiv Music Fest-2015", performed by the group of the Honoured Academic Symphony Orchestra of the National Radio Company of Ukraine (conductor – People's Artist of Ukraine Volodymyr Sheiko) and the Academic Choir named after P. Maiboroda of the National Radio Company of Ukraine (artistic director and chief conductor – Honoured Artist of Ukraine Yuliya Tkach, soloist – People's Artist of Ukraine Taras Shtonda).

The recording of the work, made by the same performing group after the premiere, was officially included in the sound recording fund of the National Radio Company of Ukraine.

On 25 May 2016 in St. Augustine (Florida, USA), "In Memoria" was played live on Ellen Grolman's radio show "Music of our Mothers", which is dedicated exclusively to the classical works of female composers.

Starting from March 2022, this piece was repeatedly broadcast on Sveriges Radio (Sweden's national broadcaster) as a sign of support for Ukraine.

Breath of Life
Breath of Life – symphonic miniature, named after a book of poems written by the composers's father, was created in 2015. It premiered in version for chamber orchestra on 2 October 2022 in Didcot (Oxfordshire, England) by the Didcot Concert Orchestra at Cornestone Arts Centre under the baton of Geoff Bushell, at whose suggestion the orchestral version of this work was created.

On 26 November and 10 December 2022 it was performed again in the version for chamber orchestra by the Banbury Symphony Orchestra conducted by Paul Willett in St Mary's Church.

The medium-sized and full-orchestral versions, created in April and June 2023, were performed on 14 May 2023 by the Didcot Concert Orchestra (Didcot) and on 8 July by the St Giles Orchestra (Oxford) conducted by Geoff Bushell.

On 24 August 2023 the full-orchestral version of the composition was performed in Vienna, Austria, by the symphony orchestra of the Kharkiv State Academic Opera and Ballet Theatre named after Mykola Lysenko (Symphony Orchestra CXID OPERA) under the direction of Honoured Artist of Ukraine Dmytro Morozov, during the main event of the commemoration of the 32nd anniversary of the Independence of Ukraine by the Embassy of Ukraine in Austria - a prayer service for Ukraine in St. Stephen's Cathedral.

On 27 August 2023 – on the Main Square of Bratislava in Slovakia by the CXID OPERA Symphony Orchestra conducted by Dmytro Morozov as part of a gala concert dedicated to the Independence Day of Ukraine.

On 8 September 2023 – in Gabchikovo, Slovakia, by the CXID OPERA Symphony Orchestra conducted by Dmytro Morozov as part of the concert ---program in honor of the opening of the 2023-2024 season of the Kharkiv State Academic Opera and Ballet Theatre named after Mykola Lysenko.

On 17 September 2023 – in Bratislava, Slovakia, at the Slovak Radio Building, by the CXID OPERA Symphony Orchestra and conducted by Dmytro Morozov as part of the concert program Musica est spiritus vitae.

From 22 to 24 September 2023 – in Eastbourne, England, at the festival ORCHFEST, conducted by Geoff Bushell.

On 5 October 2023 – in Bratislava at a gala event on the occasion of National Day of Taiwan conducted by Dmytro Morozov.

On 12 December 2023 – in Bratislava in the Moyzes Concert Hall, by the Symphony Orchestra of Kharkiv State Academic Opera and Ballet Theatre named after M.V. Lysenko (CXID OPERA).

Agnus Dei
Agnus Dei for five voices (SSTTB) and tubular bells, based on a liturgical text – one of the most recent compositions, created in July 2022 during the military events in Ukraine. It was commissioned by a British vocal ensemble Apollo5 (on the recommendation of the Swedish composer Mårten Jansson), and is dedicated to the memory of the victims of the war in Ukraine.

The premiere of this composition took place on 30 September 2022, performed by the choir Apollo5 at Christ Church Cathedral in Oxford. The performance was part of the Bouquet Kyiv Stage festival, which took place during the Ukrainian Cultural Weeks–2022. The studio recording of "Agnus Dei", performed by the Apollo5, was made under the guidance of Grammy-nominated audio producer of choral music Adrian Peacock on 12 October 2022 in London, and was included in the Apollo5's album Haven. On 19 October, it was presented in London at St. James's Church, Piccadilly, and on 20 October 2023, the studio album was released on all streaming platforms. On 29 October 2023, the track "Agnus Dei" from the album was broadcast on Radio-Canada OHdio.

A new version of "Agnus Dei" for mixed choir and tubular bells was created in January 2023. It premiered in New York on Broadway on 15 March 2023, conducted by Swedish conductor Stefan Parkman and performed by The Choir of Trinity Wall Street at St. Paul's Chapel, as part of the concert "Bach at One".

The Ukrainian premiere of this composition was performed by the Khreschatyk Academic Chamber Choir conducted by Honored Artist of Ukraine Pavlo Struts at the international festival "Kyiv Music Premieres - 2023" on 27 May in the National Museum "Kyiv Art Gallery".

Starting from May 2023, "Agnus Dei" was repeatedly broadcast on Sveriges Radio P2 in the Klassisk morgon program (in the version for mixed choir and Tubular Bells performed by The Choir of Trinity Wall Street under the direction of Stefan Parkman).

On 13 December 2023, on St. Lucia's Day in Sweden, the studio recording of "Agnus Dei" performed by Apollo5 from the album Haven was broadcast on the radio program Klassisk morgon on Sveriges Radio on St. Lucia's Day.

Prayer for Peace
One of the latest large-scale works is the oratorio Prayer for Peace for soprano, baritone, mixed choir and orchestra, based on the text of Prayer also for Peace by St. John Paul II, on liturgical and author's texts. It was commissioned by the Swedish Embassy in Berlin and created in the spring of 2023.