CULTURAL AND EDUCATIONAL PROJECT: Odesa Academy of Classical Music

 

Tatyana Burda, founder of Invogue Fashion Group, believes that 80% of her business success comes from her musical education, which allows her to think creatively. Tatyana is the president of the Odesa Academy of Classical Music, which supports young violinists and cellists.

Together with renowned musicians Maksym Dedykov and Viorica Dedykova-Kurylyv, she brings world-class instructors to Ukraine and hopes that Odesa will become a prominent cultural landmark on the map of Europe.

 

ABOUT THE FOUNDERS OF THE ODESA ACADEMY OF CLASSICAL MUSIC

 

The founders of the Odesa Academy of Classical Music, Maksym Dedykov and Viorica Dedykova-Kurylyv, met in Spain while studying at the Reina Sofía School of Music. Both are first-class musicians.

They had long dreamed of creating musical projects to support the country where they were born. That is why they decided to return to Ukraine and founded the Animato Charitable Foundation, which marked the beginning of their work at home.

I met them several years later and was deeply impressed that people with such brilliant backgrounds had returned to Ukraine to devote themselves to developing classical music in their homeland.

Maksym is an outstanding cellist who has had the honor of performing for the British and Spanish royal families. In 2012, the cello department of the Reina Sofía School of Music named him Cellist of the Year, with the award personally presented by the Queen of Spain.

Viorica has been performing in concerts since early childhood, accompanied by leading conductors of Ukraine and Europe, and participated in all major governmental cultural events. In 2006, she was awarded the national title «Woman of the Third Millennium».

While studying in Switzerland, she won all of the country’s top competitions and most prestigious scholarships. From 2008 to 2012, she had the honor of playing a 1714 Filius Andrea Guarneri violin. Viorica’s teacher, Zakhar Bron, is a world-renowned violinist and the foremost pedagogue in the violin world.

 

 

 

ODESA — A VIOLIN MECCA?

 

Once known as a violin mecca, Odesa has undergone many changes over the years. That’s why the return of Maksym and Viorica feels like a miracle.

Maksym is a soloist, a conservatory professor, and principal cellist of the Odesa National Philharmonic Orchestra. Viorica is an active concert violinist. In 2020, both were awarded the honorary title of Merited Artist of Ukraine. They also founded the Animato Charitable Foundation, which supports young musicians.

I consider their decision a true act of courage: they studied with the world’s leading musicians in order to share that knowledge and experience with young Ukrainian talents. I realized that if anyone deserves support, it’s people like them.

At first, we thought of reviving the David Oistrakh Competition. However, we concluded that competitions are valuable yet not always helpful for artistic growth. Once a musician has a solid foundation, it’s essential to learn from many teachers and receive diverse perspectives on their technique. In Europe, there are academies that offer not only five-year programs but also short-term courses taught by the world’s best educators.

So, we decided to adopt this European model and give children the opportunity to study with outstanding instructors. That’s how the idea of founding the Academy of Classical Music emerged. I serve as president of the Academy — my role is to finance the project and provide administrative support. Maksym and Viorica are the founders and curators.

 

HOW THE ACADEMY IS STRUCTURED

 

We hold two Academies per year, with applications opening six months in advance. The program is open to participants from across Ukraine, and Ukrainian citizenship is a mandatory requirement.

The initial selection is based on video recordings reviewed by the faculty. Last year, 12 students were chosen from 70 applicants — 6 violinists and six cellists. This year, 10 were selected from 120 — 5 for each instrument.

The selected students come to Odesa, all expenses are covered, and they take part in three days of intensive instruction with top teachers. On the fourth day, we organize a gala concert featuring the faculty, curators, and the most active Academy participants.

Those who stand out during the Academy, as determined by the faculty, receive special awards in the form of scholarships for international master classes abroad.

Last year, we awarded two scholarships for the Swiss International Music Academy. This year, a scholarship was provided for participation in the Tsinandali Festival Academy 2021. This is thanks to Viorica and Maksym — with their connections to the world’s top academies, they arrange these opportunities for the children.

 

HOW TO HOLD AN ACADEMY ONLINE

 

Last August, we had to hold the Academy online, as closed borders prevented our guest stars from flying in. We were at the mercy of the situation, but thanks to our high-level team, we quickly devised a new plan.

While the instructors stayed at home, they taught via live video sessions to students who had come from all over Ukraine to Odesa for the master classes. We installed large screens and conducted the lessons in real-time.

At the end of the Academy, we held a concert featuring the young musicians Viorica and Maksym. I was amazed and inspired by the level of performance — especially considering there were no guest-star instructors. Not every professional concert delivers such joy as the performances of children who rehearse six hours a day and for whom the Academy is the most important event of the year. I understand what it costs them — I’m a musician myself.

We hope that in the next Academy, the concerts will be held in packed halls so that Odesa residents can witness this extraordinary event. We plan to host them at the city’s finest venues.

 

 

ON THE DEVELOPMENT OF EUROPEAN CULTURE

 

What can the Academy achieve in the format we envisioned? Only to expand the number of master classes — ideally, not just two courses per year, but four. Of course, we want to foster a richer cultural environment. Pianists often reach out to us — they don’t have projects like this. But for now, we’ve decided to focus on string players.

When we were creating the Academy, we spent a long time discussing: «All right, we’ll train these kids and send them to study with the best teachers. But what if those teachers then take them away from Ukraine? What will we be left with?»

But even if we end up helping European culture — so be it. The most important thing is helping our children grow and develop. Let them become world-class stars — and let the world know they are from Ukraine. Just like David Oistrakh: he spent most of his life in Moscow, but he was always considered a violinist from Odesa.

 

ON THE POSSIBILITY OF MOVING TO EUROPE

 

I don’t think the Dedykovs will ever leave Ukraine — they’ve become so deeply rooted here that they don’t want to imagine anything else. Their loyalty to this vision is truly admirable.

 

ON THE FUTURE OF THE ARTS

 

I believe the «bottleneck» of cultural development is becoming narrower over time. People’s way of thinking is changing, and only those with a strong education understand that the true power lies in creativity — and creativity is impossible without engagement with the arts.

The world must realize that technology is great — but it can’t do everything. A robot will never compose music that touches the deepest strings of your soul. A robot has no emotions, and without emotions, there is no art.

There is no such thing as an artist without passion, loss, or sorrow. They have to live through it all in order to express it. And when you see a musician give everything on stage, you can feel their emotions. No AI can replicate that.

 

ODESA AS A CULTURAL CAPITAL OF EUROPE

 

Odesa is, at the very least, the second cultural capital of Ukraine after Kyiv. There is definitely a chance to restore its status as a European cultural capital. The city has a rich history that deserves a renaissance. There is interest — just look at how packed the halls are for classical concerts.

It’s nearly impossible to get tickets to really good concerts. The problem is it’s still a severely underfunded field. As they say: «What is true luxury today? Personal connection. Everything else is on Zoom». I think the same will be true for classical music: we’ll continue to be absorbed by technology, but those who truly understand the value of culture will remain with us.

 

FROM PERSONAL EXPERIENCE WITH MUSIC

 

Unfortunately, my own musical education as a child wasn’t very positive, so I once decided that my own children would only receive musical training if they wanted it. If someone has talent, they can start playing at 20. It’s wrong to kill that desire at the age of five, as it happened to me — because schools rarely inspire a love of learning, and music schools are no exception.

To become a musician, you need tremendous energy: at least 5–6 hours of daily practice. That’s a lot for children. Very few students truly have that spark in their eyes and see nothing but music in their future. These are the talents we seek out. Today’s children often find classical concerts boring.

You rarely see young faces in the audience. Most attendees are 40+, because that’s when awareness comes — and with it, the ability to enjoy classical music. Of course, it’s best to absorb this from childhood, but I’m against forcing it.

I won’t take a child to a concert if they’re not interested. They need to reach that point on their own. All you can do is inspire them by example: go to concerts yourself, listen to music at home, discuss it as a family. I believe that leaves an imprint, and over time, the child will become curious — and music will naturally become part of their life.

 

Interview by Zhanna Kryuchkova

 

---

When copying materials, please place an active link to www.huxley.media