On June 16, renowned Ukrainian pianist Natalia Pasichnyk received the prestigious Cultural Award from the Friends of the Arts Association, a cultural foundation affiliated with one of Sweden’s most famous museums, the Prince Eugen’s Waldemarsdösa Museum. The award was presented during a ceremony in Stockholm by Her Majesty Queen Silvia, according to the Swedish Royal Court website.
Hans Dillen, chairman of the organization, said: “Natalia Pasichnyk is a renowned pianist with a distinguished international career. But she also uses her talent to tell the story of Ukraine and spread Ukrainian culture – which is more important today than ever before. She builds cultural bridges between Sweden and Ukraine and is one of those rare figures whose artistic work becomes a channel for deeper understanding between peoples.”
Lars Edelholm
The Cultural Award, presented by the Renässans Society for the Humanities, is awarded annually by the Association of Friends of Artists to individuals who have made a significant contribution to cultural life in Sweden. The award ceremony is traditionally attended by members of the royal family.
“I am grateful for this recognition and attention to the promotion of Ukrainian culture—and Ukrainian music in particular—in Sweden. Today is not a time for celebration, but it is time to remind everyone once again of Ukraine’s need to be heard, to have the support of the world, and to talk about the existence of a distinct, deep, rich, and integrated Ukrainian culture within the European context,” emphasized Natalia Pasichnyk.
Fredrik Jönsson
The pianist has lived in Sweden for over 30 years and is one of the key figures in Ukrainian cultural representation in Europe. She is the founder and artistic director of the Ukrainian Institute in Sweden, as well as the artistic director of the large-scale European festival “Ukrainian Spring,” which takes place every year at the Royal Philharmonic Hall in Stockholm.
The Association of Friends of Artists was founded in 1937. Its long-time chairman was Prince Eugen, a member of the ruling Bernadotte dynasty and the fourth son of King Oscar II of Sweden. He was a renowned artist, collector, and patron of the arts. The association’s goal is to support and encourage people working in the humanities and arts in Sweden, especially through an annual cultural award. The Waldemarstad Museum (translated from Swedish as “Waldemar’s Cape”) is now in the prince’s old villa.
Ukrainian pianist Nadia Shpachenko has received the prestigious Grammy Music Award, the award website reports. The pianist’s album “The Poetry of Places,” which was recorded with Joan Pearce Martin, Nick Terry and Corey Hills, won the category “Best Classical Compendium.”
Nadia Shpachenko was born in Ukraine. In 1991, she moved to Israel with her mother, and in 1994 she moved to the United States to earn a bachelor’s degree in classical music in Cambridge. She her piano classes from the age of five, and by the age of 13, she gained recognition as a pianist and composer, performing with the Kharkiv Philharmonic Symphony Orchestra and taking the second place in the All-Ukrainian competition of young composers.
Shpachenko received the title of Doctor of Musical Arts and Master at the University of Southern California, and graduated with excellent marks. Among her teachers are John Perry in Los Angeles, Victor Rosenbaum in Boston, Victor Derevyanko in Israel, and Serafima Schwartz in Ukraine.
