Events
Presented by Folk&Roots…
with Nazar Lekh and Harvey Gibbons
Mariia Petrovska is a charismatic bandura player and singer, and one of the rising stars of Ukrainian music. She combines a complete mastery of the bandura with a pure, emotive voice, making Ukrainian traditional music sound utterly fresh and contemporary, as well as penning her own new songs. Her mesmerising live solo performances frequently draw standing ovations, and it is Mariia’s belief that this ancient traditional instrument can find a new audience far beyond its Ukrainian home.
In her native Ukraine, she was a many times winner of all-Ukrainian and international bandurist competitions. After the Russian invasion, she left Ukraine to live in the UK and is currently studying songwriting and performance at British Irish Modern Music University (Manchester). But she continues to use her music as a voice for Ukraine. She leads the volunteer organization ‘People’s Territory of Happiness’ and is a major contributor to the Cultural Forces programme. In summer 2023, she went to the east of Ukraine, close to the war zone where she performed for Ukrainian defenders, and also in a powerful fundraising video which went viral on YouTube. In May 2023, she played on the stage of the Eurovision Village in Liverpool. In August 2023 she recorded a song for a BBC team to accompany a news broadcast about Ukraine, and in summer 2024 performed to great acclaim in London’s Finborough Theatre.” John Farndon
“Mariia Petrovska gave a..rapturous recital…remarkable harmonic shifts and subtle quiet modulations” Simon Jenner, ‘Fringe Review’
“Mariia Petrovska stunned…with her angelic vocals… Everyone was in awe of her incredible talent.”.. I Love Manchester

Nazar Lekh is the ‘flute guy’, a wizard of the Ukrainian ‘sopilka’. And not just the sopilka – he possesses a unique and varied collection of traditional flutes, and he’s made himself a master of them all. When he’s on stage, you’ll often see him pull yet another unusual instrument from his bag of flutes and wind his subtle magic. His music is steeped in the haunting folk melodies of Ukraine, and he has been acclaimed in many international competitions and festivals. Yet he also whips up a heady storm of dance beats to packed halls across Europe in Ukrainian electo-folk band ‘Go-A’ which hit the headlines in Eurovision.

Cellist Harvey Gibbons is a rising young star of the crossover music scene, whose innovative approach blends different genres. He’s a highly accomplished classical cellist, who has played in orchestras, chamber groups and quartets, specialising in Late Romantic, Impressionist and 20th Century music. But he’s making a splash in World Folk, Indian Classical and Jazz among others, and his inventive style and desire to push the boundaries of his instrument come to the fore in collaborations with musicians such as Pearl Fish, Cosmo Pyke and George Jones.
Doors open 7pm. Music starts 8.30pm. The venue is mixed seated and standing. Tables are limited and available on a first come first served basis so, if you’d like a seat, we recommend arriving early!