Music at Grazhda returns to Jewett for 44th summer season

JEWETT―The Music and Art Center of Greene County is delighted to announce its 44th season of “Music at Grazhda,” joining the Catskill Region’s numerous vibrant centers in enriching the cultural life of the region.

The Music and Art Center of Greene County is one of the oldest and most beloved classical music venues in county. Each summer it presents a series of exceptional concerts, courses, and workshops, set in the picturesque Catskills in Jewett.

The Music and Art Center of Greene County, known as MACGC, was established in 1983 by Dr. Ihor Sonevytsky, a Ukrainian-born composer and musicologist. As host of the longest running classical music summer concert series in the Catskills, it offers an extraordinarily rich classical music program of works by international and Ukrainian composers, performed by distinguished award-winning musicians, most of Ukrainian descent, from both the United States and Europe, as well as musicians from today’s war-torn Ukraine.

The music series is presented on Saturday evenings in July and August in the hall of the Grazhda, which is part of one of the most architecturally unique building complexes in the Catskills, situated on a hill along scenic Route 23A in Jewett. It includes the St. John the Baptist Ukrainian Catholic Church, its Belfry, the Grazhda (parish hall), and the Pastor’s House. The Grazhda serves both as an auditorium for concerts and as a gallery where exhibitions of works by Ukrainian artists are on display during the summer months. It also houses a gift shop.

The church and its complex were built by Ukrainian immigrants who came to the United States after World War II and formed a community in the Hunter Mountain and Jewett area, as the Catskills reminded them of the beautiful Carpathian Mountains in their homeland.

The church was dedicated to those who had committed their lives to the struggle for freedom. The project came to fruition in 1961–1964 under the leadership of Dr. Iwan Makarewycz. The tripartite church building was designed by architect Titus Hewryk in the manner of XVII century Ukrainian wooden churches, and the construction documents were developed by architect Ivan Zhukovskyj. The church complex was built by George Kostiv, who in his youth in Ukraine had built such churches of timber blockwork, constructed fully without nails. The church’s beautiful wooden iconostasis (alter screen) and chandelier were designed and carved by sculptor Mykhailo Czereszniowsky; the iconostasis includes stunning icons painted by the artist Petro Cholodny Jr. The wood interior and high ceilings of the Grazhda are particularly conducive to creating a wonderful environment with great acoustics for concerts.

The season opens July 11 with a recital by duo Natalia Khoma (cello) and Volodymyr Vynnytsky (piano), a dynamic partnership of two highly regarded artists.

On July 18, the Grazhda Chamber Music Society presents compositions by Mozart, Skoryk, and Schumann featuring violinist Nazar Pylatyuk, People’s Artist of Ukraine; Vasyl Zatsikha, Concertmaster of the Orchestra della Svizzera Italiana; Richard Young, violist with the Vermeer String Quartet; Natalia Khoma, Tchaikovsky Competition laureate and cello professor at the College of Charleston; and pianist Pavlo Gintov, top prizewinner at the Takamatsu, Bradshaw & Buono, and World Competitions.

The 2026 season is especially meaningful as it marks the centennial of the birth of the festival’s founder, Ukrainian composer Ihor Sonevytsky, in whose memory the festival is dedicating its July 25 concert. It will feature the Grazhda Chamber Music Society artists Anna Kosachevich, soprano, featured soloist at the Manhattan School of Music, and Volodymyr Vynnytsky, pianist, laureate of the Margueritte Long-Jacques Thibaud International Piano Competition in Paris and the festival’s Artistic Director, performing works by Sonevytsky, Skoryk, and Smetana, as well as the premiere of a piano trio by composer Iryna Aleksijchuk dedicated to Ihor Sonevytsky.

An exciting crossover program on August 8 will feature two-time Grammy Award-winning pianist and composer Taylor Eigsti; cellist and multi-disciplinary artist Marta Bagratuni; and Grammy-nominated hammered dulcimer virtuoso MaxZT.

The season concludes August 29 with baritone Ihor Mostovoi, of the Opéra National de Paris and Opera for Peace, and pianist Serhiy Salov, winner of many prestigious competitions, including the Montreal International music competition, performing Schubert’s Winterreise alongside Ukrainian arias and songs.

Concerts begin at 8 p.m. at the historic Grazhda Hall, a wooden masterpiece renowned for its warm acoustics, located at 46 Ukraine Road, Hunter. Join us for a memorable summer of music, culture, and artistic inspiration!

The Music and Art Center of Greene County also offers several workshops and courses in folk art from July 27 to August 7. They include woodcarving, embroidery, gerdany (bead-stringing), reverse glass painting, and creating a Christmas straw “spider” ornament.

For more information, visit https://grazhdamusicandart.org.