Cobb Reporter

Ukrainian refugee and renowned mezzo-soprano, Tetyana Vakhnoska, is set to perform in the Georgia Symphony Orchestra’s season-ending performance of ‘Beethoven’s Universe.’ The innovative multimedia concert will take place on May 18-19, 2024, at the Dr. Bobbie Bailey and Family Performance Center in Kennesaw, Georgia.

Vakhnoska is one of four winners of the GSO’s Beethoven’s 9th national vocal competition. She graduated from the National Academy of Music in Lviv, Ukraine, and served as a leading opera singer at the National Opera in Lviv for 15 years. Her career has taken her to international stages across Poland, Germany, Austria, the Netherlands, Luxembourg, Belgium, France, China and the United States.

In 2022, following the onset of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Vakhnoska made a life-altering decision to leave her hometown of Lviv with her husband and their then 11-year-old son for a new life in America. “It was very, very scary and I had to save my son,” she said in a recent interview with GSO Executive Director Suzanne Tucker. They settled in Park Ridge, Illinois.

“I sang solos in Beethoven’s 9th many times in Ukraine and it was always festive," Vakhnovska shared. Since immigrating to the U.S., she has performed as a soloist in Beethoven’s 9th Symphony with the Elmhurst Symphony Orchestra and Bruckner’s “Te Deum” with the Champaign-Urbana Symphony Orchestra.

Joining Vakhnovska on stage for 'Beethoven's Universe' are fellow vocal competition winners: soprano Emma Robertson, tenor William Green and bass/baritone Jacob Lay. The musical program also includes Eric Whitacre’s composition "Deep Field," which will be performed live by the orchestra and over 100 members of the GSO Chorus. The performance is accompanied by a film featuring imagery from the Hubble Space Telescope, galaxy fly-bys and custom animations.

Tickets for the event range from $15-$45. More information and online ticket purchases can be found at georgiasymphony.org/all-events.