The art song genre began in Ukraine with Mykola Lysenko. Lysenko’s student, Kyrylo Stetsenko,
followed his teacher’s example and composed 42 art songs, that are marked by desolation,
anguish, and repression, yet with occasional strong glimpses of hope and love. Repressive
political circumstances, which Stetsenko desperately fought to change, and various life events
as a composer and Orthodox priest truly resulted in the heartfelt music that he wrote. Subsequent
Ukrainian composers also wrote art songs despite prohibition of the Ukrainian language in
print, in performance, and in scores. Over the past decade, thanks to the diligent efforts of the
Ukrainian Art Song Project, the world stage is being introduced to hundreds of forbidden art
songs by Ukrainian composers. Founded in 2004 by world-renowned bass-baritone, Pavlo Hunka,
the Ukrainian Art Song Project aims to record, publish, promote and perform the art songs of
more than 26 eminent Ukrainian composers by 2025.