Heinali and Andriana- Yaroslava Saienko present
Гільдеґарда (Hildegard) and solo set by Eivind Stornes Gjertsen
16. Oktober @ 20:00 (doors @ 19:30)
Гільдеґарда (‘Hildegard’ in Ukrainian) is a unique reimagining of Hildegard von
Bingen’s music. It combines the vocal sound production approaches of authentic
Ukrainian folk singing with modular synthesis techniques drawn from high
medieval polyphony and monophony. This approach, realised by Oleh Shpudeiko,
known as Heinali, an electronic music composer whose work extends Western
medieval music traditions through modular synthesis, and Andriana- Yaroslava
Saienko, a singer practising authentic Ukrainian vocal tradition, highlights the
physicality inherent in Hildegard’s visionary music, serving as a distant mirror to
reflect, comprehend, externalise, and transcend wartime experiences.
Accolades:
Number 13 on The Quietus Best Albums of 2025
Number 16 on Crack Magazine’s Best Albums of 2025
Number 12 on Pitchfork’s Best Electronic Albums of 2025
Bandcamp Best Albums of 2025: Essential Releases
‘Heinali and Saienko provoke us to linger at the intersection of the medieval and the
modern, the elemental and the eternal; of the rural voice, the traumatic experience, and
the mystical vision’ – Maria Sonevytsky, Pitchfork 8/10
‘Гільдеґарда is not soothing, and its purpose is not contemplation. It is a call to
wakefulness. It reminds us that music is not locked away in a museum but is accessible…
Spiritual experience and tension expand this reception at the junction of programmed
electronics and spontaneous singing’ – Jakub Knera, The Quietus
Bio: Andriana- Yaroslava Saienko is a versatile musician, singer, actress, and
vocal coach. Born in Lviv, she received academic music education
specialising in flute. Since 2019, she has been exploring the voice as an
instrument through various vocal and acting workshops and practices. Her
journey includes collaborations with actress and researcher of Ukrainian
authentic songs Uliana Horbachevska, and participation in projects such as
the opera-myth ‘Ukraine-Terra Incognita,’ ‘Horbachevska septet,’ and ‘Kolo Rayu.’ Since the full-scale invasion of russia into Ukraine, Andriana- Yaroslava has been actively participating in theatrical projects in Poland, Germany, and the Czech Republic. She creates music both independently and in collaboration with her brother, pianist Danylo Saienko. In her explorations, she goes beyond genres, synthesizing authentic Ukrainian singing, jazz, improvisation, electronic music, and an academic foundation. A characteristic feature of her work is a subtle sense of folk songs as a living material, working with a natural, pure authentic voice, and gentle attention to detail. She creates music for performances and conducts vocal workshops and training sessions.
Oleh Shpudeiko is a music composer and sound artist who performs under the stage name Heinali. His core practice draws on medieval music and compositional techniques, continuing their tradition through contemporary electronic music and modular synthesis, using the past as a mirror to reflect and process contemporary experience. While his primary focus lies in studio albums and live performances, Oleh also composes music for video games, films, and choreography. His credits include the award-winning soundtrack for the video game BOUND (Plastic/Sony Santa Monica), the 2020 album
MADRIGALS, shortlisted for the Shevchenko National Prize, and sound art commissions from institutions such as the Museum of Modern Art in New York (MoMA), the National Art Museum of Ukraine (NAMU), and the Museum of Odesa Modern Art (MSIO). He has an extensive performance history, with appearances at festivals and venues including The Lincoln Center (New York), Le Guess Who? (Utrecht), CTM (Berlin), Rewire (The Hague), WOS Festival (Santiago de Compostela), Muziekgebouw (Amsterdam), Musikprotokoll ( Graz), Primavera (Barcelona), Unsound (Krakow and Adelaide), as well as Plivka and Next Sound in Kyiv.
Eivind Stornes Gjertsen does exercises on electroacoustic devices.
Improvising with non-existing pattern behavior and playing ad hoc spaces. Lately he has been thinking about:
pareidolia
/păr″ī-dō′lē-ə/
noun
1. The perception of a recognizable image or meaningful pattern where none exists or is intended.
2. The tendency to interpret a vague stimulus as something known to the observer, such as seeing shapes in clouds, or hearing hidden messages in music.