Maryana Golovchenko is a Ukrainian singer and musician who builds bridges between tradition and innovation. Her music blends centuries-old Ukrainian sounds with contemporary styles and traditions from around the globe. Her work exudes curiosity, craftsmanship and a deep connection to her cultural heritage.
Born and raised in Kyiv, the Ukrainian capital, she grew up in a musical household. From a young age, she sang in the renowned Shchedryk children’s choir, an experience that shaped her musical foundation and her passion for ensemble singing.
She went on to study instruments and jazz before ultimately focusing on the voice as her primary means of expression. Since moving to the Netherlands, she has developed her own distinctive style, blending traditional Eastern European and Ukrainian music with contemporary genres such as classical, jazz and electronic music, as well as drawing on a variety of global influences.
She works with a variety of ensembles and is involved in multidisciplinary collabMaryana performs with various ensembles and is involved in multidisciplinary collaborations with musicians, choirs, filmmakers, dancers and visual artists. She is a member of Trio SonCe, in which her clear, pure voice is accompanied by the sounds of the cello, Turkish wind instruments and modular synthesizers. Maryana is also part of the Kravchenko Clees Duo, winners of the Polish Jazz Juniors Award. She also creates live film music for Sergei Parajanov’s classic, Shadows of Forgotten Ancestors.
Alongside her artistic work, Maryana is also active as a festival organiser, teacher and researcher. With a Master’s degree in Cultural Economics and Entrepreneurship from Erasmus University, she connects artistic content to social and international contexts. Central to everything she does is the idea of music as a living tradition that is constantly evolving and in dialogue with today’s world.
Maryana Golovchenko performing with Spinvis: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kedlGQXt3mk&t=40s
Photo: De Schaapjesfabriek