Ukraine and the Power of Music with Irena Portenko

Since the start of the conflict in Ukraine nearly one year ago, internationally renowned Ukranian concert pianist and music teacher Irena Portenka has raised more than $70,000 by organizing and performing in concerts to assist displaced Ukrainian musicians and to support displaced families. She will draw from research and her own personal experience, to speak on how the transformative power of music affects people inside and outside Ukraine. This presentation includes a lecture and music listening experience.

About the Presenter: 

Named to a “select circle” of pianists by The New York Times, Irena Portenko, DMA is a sought-after concert pianist, music educator and mentor. Born in Kyiv, Ukraine, Dr. Portenko first displayed a talent for the piano at age three, making her debut performing Haydn’s Keyboard Concerto in D Major with the Ukrainian National Orchestra at the age of eight.

Dr. Portenko has served as piano faculty at Sacred Heart University in Connecticut and at The Music Conservatory of Westchester in New York, teaching music history and theory classes and piano instruction. She received her bachelor’s degree from the Kyiv National Academy of Music, followed by her postgraduate degree from the Ukrainian National Academy of Music. She received her master’s and doctoral degrees in music and piano performance from the University of Michigan School of Music. She currently resides in Dobbs Ferry, New York.