Crisp Galleries, Bowning: Pianist Alexander Gavrylyuk performing to raise funds for Ukraine

World-class Ukrainian-born concert pianist, Alexander Gavrylyuk, will be playing at the Crisp Galleries in the Southern Tablelands to raise funds for victims in the war on Ukraine.

Ukrainian-born concert pianist, Alexander Gavrylyuk, will be performing at the Crisp Galleries in the Southern Tablelands to raise funds for war victims in Ukraine.

Through the ‘Live at Yours’ narrated concert experience in Bowning, audiences will be able to get to know one of the world’s most virtuosic concert pianists in an intimate and unpretentious setting.

“It’s really nice for me to be here and be able to do this because I feel that music should never be an elitist tool,” Mr Gavrylyuk said.

The artist’s music journey started in his hometown of Kharkiv, Ukraine, due to his upbringing.

“My parents were both musicians and I was surrounded by music since my birth,” Mr Gavrylyuk said.

“It was such an important part of our family.”

Then at age six, he found his groove.

“I sang in the choir at first and when I was six I started playing piano and after a few years only continued with the piano,” Mr Gavrylyuk said.

He started performing at concerts at the age of nine and remembers his first experience fondly.

“At my first concert in the west of Ukraine I got a great box of toy cars as a prize,” Mr Gavrylyuk said.

He moved to Australia at the age of 13 and has travelled through Europe, America and Asia for concerts, performing with some of the best orchestras in the world.

Mr Gavrylyuk’s lengthy resume includes playing at BBC Proms in London – the biggest classical music festival – as well as with the Royal Conservatory in Amsterdam.

Alexander Gavrylyuk has performed all over the world. Picture: Marco Borggreve

Two years ago he and his family moved back to Sydney due to the pandemic.

“We’re really thrilled to be back,” Mr Gavrylyuk said.

“It’s a safe place, especially considering the situation in Europe at the moment with Ukraine.”

The proceeds of his concert in Bowning will be going towards families in Ukraine.

“Things escalated quite badly and the Russian aggression is severe and unthinkable at the moment,” Mr Gavrylyuk said.

“We are doing what we can to send support on this end and the funds will be going directly to those affected, which is probably the most efficient way to help.”

Mr Gavrylyuk’s father only managed to narrowly escape to Germany from Kharkiv – one of the heaviest shelled and bombed regions in Ukraine.

“Thankfully he was unharmed but the day after he left, the area he was in was bombed directly, so it was just a matter of luck that he left in time,” Mr Gavrylyuk said.

“People there have really lost a lot.”

Mr Gavrylyuk is hoping to seek residency for his father in Australia.

Not only is this concert for a good cause, but also a rare opportunity given that Mr Gavrylyuk is usually based in the Netherlands with his wife and two daughters.

While Alexander Gavrylyuk has toured regional NSW before, he is looking forward to performing in Bowning for the first time. Picture: Marco Borggreve

“I’m looking forward to meeting the audiences and sharing those musical moments together in regional NSW,” Mr Gavrylyuk said.

“It’s amazing how much music can achieve beyond diplomas and politics, and unite people in the goodness of what we can express as human beings.

“It kind of erases the boundaries between people and penetrates deeper where people respond similarly to the same piece of music.”

You can book his concert on Saturday April 2 here.