Polina Pohozha

Polina Pohozha (1997, Ukraine, Odesa) is a performer, composer, and sound artist, also actively engaged in photography and visual arts, based in Sweden.

Due to the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine, she was forced to move to Sweden, where she began to study musical composition and actively continues her musical activities. Her musical practice is currently focused on the search for identity, both national, musical, and deeply psychological, through experimental solo and group improvisation, musical composition, and piano performance.

As a composer, Polina perceives sounds through their relationships and connections to each other, mixtures, and musical timing, improvising through narrative storytelling that is triggering her in the moment of writing. Currently, Polina writes for string trio as part of Festspillene, Klassik link (Bergen, Norway), Uppsala Kammarsolister and the International Contemporary Ensemble as part of the International Young Composers Academy Ticino (Lugano, Switzerland).

She actively performs solo and as part of various ensembles, such as Kult. and VARP. In February 2024 VARP released their first experimental album, "Deal with Bergman" (label RIGHT BRAIN RECORDS), which explores group improvisation and experiments with sound. As a pianist, she was a laureate of Ukrainian and Polish competitions such as the P.V. Povzun Chamber Music Competition, VII Miedzynarodowego Konkursu Pianistycznego im. Maurycego Moszkowskiego, "Horizon of Classics.» and other.

She participated as a performer/composer, at international festivals such as 2days2nights, Dzenzelivka Classical Week, Kontinent Dalsland, Paskfestivalen Gotland, Ljudvågor, Bergmanveckan, and FRST. As a composer, Polina has worked with Musikkonservatoriet Falun, Gotlands Musiken, Ivo Nilsson, and Jörgen Pettersson. She was an artist-in-residence at the Bergman Estate on Fårö, Sweden, and received a grant from DBW, Visby.

Source