Co-presented by the Ukrainian Institute in Kyiv and in special partnership with Ukraïner cultural media archive, UCMF’s three concerts will explore Places (March 19), Peoples (March 20), and Practices (March 21) with music by 17 Ukrainian composers, including 14 U.S. premieres, ranging from Crimean jazz to Ukrainian Jewish folk traditions.

The festival launches with Places on Thursday, March 19, 2026, presented in collaboration with the International Contemporary Ensemble. This opening program explores the relationship between geography and imagination, portraying how Ukraine’s vast and varied landscapes — from the Carpathian Mountains to post-industrial mining towns — shape the sonic imagination of its composers. Featured works include Vela Invecti by Alla Zahaykevych, Branching by Ostap Manulyak, Voice of the Mountains by Victor Kaminsky, Terricone by Anna Korsun (new arrangement co-commissioned by International Contemporary Ensemble and UCMF), and Five Minutes After Leaving the Bomb Shelter by Ivan Nebesnyy. Purchase tickets here.