Ukraine Benefit Concert

We would love for you to join or support in any way you can. If you'd like to donate, please contact Elizabeth Buckalew (elizabethashleybuckalew@gmail.com) or Sarah McManus (smcmanus5793@gmail.com). Please consider an additional donation at one of the below levels:

Gold: $5,000 │ Silver: $2,000 │ Bronze: $1,000

This concert at St John's Church in the Village will feature several incredible musicians including Irena Portenko, who is a Ukrainian-born pianist that has dedicated several concerts to helping raise funds to help her country during the difficult time. 100% of proceeds from this event will go towards the Project Shelter House Heart and displaced Ukrainian musicians. The concert will feature numerous prominent international musicians, including currently London-based Taiwanese-British musician Shu-Wei Tseng, to perform on both the piano and the cello.

The concert will be followed by a reception, which Veselka restaurant has generously provided traditional Ukrainian food. Since 1954, Veselka has been serving up traditional Ukrainian food in the heart of the East Village.

About Project Shelter House

Through Project Shelter House Heart, NGO purchased a 120-square-meter house with 18 acres of land in Kremenets, a town in the Ternopil region of western Ukraine. The Shelter accommodates several families with a large garden with ample fruit and vegetable plants as a regular food source for guests and spacious playrooms for children. More than a shelter, Project Shelter House Heart provides access to medical care, support through psychologists, lawyers, teachers, financiers and more; assistance to find permanent residences; workforce training and more – all at no cost for women and children in need.

About the Fund for Ukrainian Musicians

Millions of Ukrainians have been displaced since the invasion beginning February 24, 2022. The fund organized by Irena Portenko hopes to raise funds, especially for the young musicians who lost everything and are virtually homeless. They have lost their homes, their livelihoods, and, in many cases, their loved ones. Our hearts and prayers are with them, and now we want to do all that we can to help them survive.

About Irena Portenko

Ukrainian-born Irena Portenko first displayed love and talent for the piano at age three and by age eight, debuted as soloist with the Ukrainian National Orchestra, performing Haydn's Concerto in D Major. Since then, Ms. Portenko’s spectacular and multifaceted career has flourished in the distinguished array of concerto performances. Though she's a world away, Portenko wants nothing more than to help her home country. Since she cannot physically be in Ukraine with her family and friends, she's using her talents as a concert pianist and accompanist to raise funds to benefit the country.

About Shu-Wei Tseng

Known for her exceptional technique, musicality, and her program versatility, Taiwanese-British musician Shu-Wei Tseng has performed as both soloist and chamber musician across four continents in major concert halls on the piano and cello. Shu-Wei joined the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland faculty in 2010 and is a Global Ambassador of CU Boulder, USA (DMA, 2010), with previous degrees from the Royal Academy of Music. She lives and works from London, regularly giving lectures/masterclasses internationally, and since 2016, has represented the UK at the D-Day Commemoration Concert in Normandy, France, and the Taipei Consulate/ Taiwan Ministry of Culture in the UK.