Ukrainian Folk Quartet DakhaBrakha to Perform at W&L The March 5 performance will showcase the group’s transnational sound rooted in Ukrainian culture.

Editor’s note: The following release was written by Allison Munck ’27 for W&L’s Lenfest Center for the Arts.

The Department of Music at Washington and Lee University presents the Pickens World Music Concert, featuring Ukrainian quartet DakhaBrakha, at 7:30 p.m. on March 5 in the  Keller Theatre.

The Pickens World Music series is supported by the Pauline B. and Paul D. Pickens Fund for the Performing Arts, which brings non-Western European performing artists or groups to campus each year. Tickets are required and available online or in person at the Lenfest Center box office.

In addition to their March 5 performance, DakhaBrakha will host a Ukrainian cooking exhibition and dinner at 5:30 p.m. on March 4 in Evans Dining Hall.

DakhaBrakha was created in 2004 at the Kyiv Center of Contemporary Art by avant-garde theater director Vladyslav Troitskyi. Meaning “give and take” in Old Ukrainian, the quartet’s resounding and uncompromising vocal range creates a transnational sound rooted at the crossroads of Ukrainian folklore and theater. Their musical spectrum ranges from intimate to riotous, plumbing the depts of contemporary roots and rhythms, and inspiring cultural and artistic liberation.

DakhaBrakha’s live shows are characterized by textural and layered sounds, the use of traditional dress and a stage presence that combines Ukrainian folk elements with global musical influences.

“DakhaBrakha makes music that sounds like nothing I’ve ever heard, with strands of everything I’ve ever heard,” said NPR’s Bob Boilen, who cites DakhaBrakha as his favorite Tiny Desk concert series performance. “It’s refreshing to hear the power of acoustic music and the many worlds of sound still waiting to be explored.”

Ukrainian Cooking Exhibition

As part of the Lenfest Center’s Outreach & Engagement Series, DakhaBrakha will host a Ukrainian cooking demonstration and dinner at 5:30 p.m. on March 4 in Evans Dining Hall. Tickets are required and available online.

In a night packed with food and fun, attendees will experience Ukrainian culture and hospitality by delving into the flavors and techniques of the quartet’s favorite borscht recipe. Savor the traditional meal prepared by W&L Dining Services while enjoying the lively sounds of Ukrainian folk songs performed a cappella, just as they would have been sung 200 years ago.

DakhaBrakha’s performance and dinner are sponsored in part by the Class of 1964 Performing Arts Fund and the Pickens World Music Fund.

Order your tickets online today, or call the Lenfest Center box office at 540-458-8000 for ticket information. Box office hours are 9 a.m.- 4 p.m. Monday through Friday. The cost is $35 for adults, $32 for seniors, $29 for W&L faculty and staff and $8 for students.

For a full list of events, visit the Department of Music’s website.