Heinali and Andriana-Yaroslava Saienko present Гільдеґарда/Hildegard

“Using modular synth and pre-modern vocal styles, the Ukrainian duo turns the music of 12th-century mystic Hildegard von Bingen into a chilling meditation on wartime trauma and the endurance of faith.”
Maria Sonevytsky, Pitchfork, 2025

Composer and sound artist Oleh Shpudeiko, aka Heinali, approaches early music through modular synthesis, while Andriana-Yaroslava Saienko, a musician, singer, and actor, explores the voice as an instrument. Her cross-genre work blends authentic Ukrainian singing, jazz, and electronic music, always attentive to the subtle sensibilities of folk music as a living material. Their collaborative project, Гільдеґарда (“Hildegard” in Ukrainian), reimagines Hildegard von Bingen’s music, combining Saienko’s voice, rooted in traditional Ukrainian techniques, with Heinali’s modular synthesis, inspired by medieval polyphony and monophony. The collaboration emphasizes the music’s physicality while reflecting on wartime experience.

This performance is supported by UPBEAT.