To mark the 170th anniversary of Ivan Franko's birth, Ukraine has launched a large-scale music-technology project, FRANKO: Sound Continuum 360°, which transforms the poetry of the national classic into an immersive audiovisual experience. The initiative is being carried out by the public organization "Dusha UA Cultural and Artistic Foundation" with the support of the Ukrainian Cultural Foundation and involves the creation of 12 VR singles for voice and piano, combining the chamber-vocal tradition, Franko's poetic texts, contemporary compositional practices, and virtual reality technology. As envisioned by the creators, listeners will be able not merely to hear the music but to fully immerse themselves in the created digital space, opening up new possibilities for experiencing Ukraine's musical heritage.
Recording on the Stage of the National Philharmonic
The project's main studio session took place on 2 August 2026 on the stage of the National Philharmonic of Ukraine. The recording involved professional musicians, sound engineer Andrii Mokrytskyi, and a team of VR artists responsible for creating the digital space for each single. The 360° recording format captures the sound scene from all sides, which, combined with the visual VR component, produces a sense of presence unattainable in traditional stereo or even surround formats.
Repertoire: From Lysenko to Electroacoustics
The programme includes ten romances and solo songs by Ukrainian composers of the 19th–20th centuries set to the poetry of Ivan Franko. The repertoire spans a wide historical range: from Mykola Lysenko and Denys Sichynskyi through Yaroslav Lopatynskyi, Stanislav Liudkevych, Borys Lyatoshynskyi, Fedor Nadenenko, Anatolii Kos-Anatolskyi, Vasyl Barvynskyi, and Bohdana Filts to Lesia Dychko. Thus, the project builds a continuous "sound continuum" — from the national romanticism of the late 19th century through the modernist explorations of the 20th century to contemporary practices.
Two New Works Featuring Electroacoustics
Separately, for FRANKO: Sound Continuum 360°, contemporary composers Oleksandr Chornyi and Tetyana Khoroshun wrote two original works set to the texts of Ivan Franko. These compositions actively employ electroacoustics, modern compositional techniques, elements of improvisation, and experiments with sound space. It is precisely these two singles that close the "continuum," linking the classical heritage with cutting-edge sound design technology and demonstrating that Franko's poetry is capable of finding a new voice in the digital environment.
Mariia Prylypko and the Open Casting for Young Vocalists
The idea of the project belongs to pianist and accompanist Mariia Prylypko, who also served as artistic curator. As part of the initiative, she worked with young vocalists selected through an open online casting. For each performer, the team individually selected the work best suited to their voice, temperament, and musical individuality. "The most interesting and at the same time the most challenging task for me was not only to choose the performers but also to find for each of them the very romance in which their voice, temperament, and musical individuality could be revealed most fully," Prylypko said. On the stage of the National Philharmonic on the day of the recording gathered precisely this group of young artists, whose names made up the project's ensemble.
Classical Music Beyond the Concert Hall
FRANKO: Sound Continuum 360° is intended to demonstrate that Ukrainian classical music can exist not only within the walls of concert halls but also in the modern digital environment. The combination of poetry, chamber music, and VR technology is aimed at making the cultural heritage more accessible to a young audience accustomed to interactive forms of content consumption. The project thus becomes a bridge between tradition and innovation, affirming that 170 years after Ivan Franko's birth, his word continues to sound — now in a new, virtual dimension.
