Valya
Levchenko

Singer, improviser, composer, and community leader, Valya Levchenko has roots in Eastern Ukraine and evolved as a musician in different countries and cultures. Valentina was born in former Soviet Union, behind the iron curtain, but grew up and built a successful business career in independent modern Ukraine. She studied under Rhiannon’s and Bobby McFerrin’s patronage and explored different music techniques in the United States, Canada, and Brazil. Being away from home for a long time and immersion in improvisation allowed her to understand her voice, accept her roots and restore cultural and ethnic memory. In 2019, her music journey brought her to Brazil, where she released her first album, “Berehy”, a mix of Ukrainian folk music combined with Brazilian and African instruments and rhythms. The album became one of the top 10 Indie albums of the year in Ukraine. Over the last two years, she started exploring different teaching methods and improvisation in performances that helped her build a strong singing community. Valya created Kyiv Community Choir and became a TEDx Kyiv Speaker. She put her spin into organizing music camps within authentic Ukrainian places to help non-professional singers learn to overcome the fear of singing and accept their own culture.