Olena Kohut//ssemf// //Olena Kohut    •     Musique de Chambre of Louis XIV // Dear friends,* Olena Kohut* was a treasured soloist, organist and keyboardist for the Sumy Regional Philharmonic in Ukraine, and a beloved teacher and pianist with the Shchepkin Theater in Sumy. A colleague of our dear friend Olena Zhukova in Kyiv, she was killed in a Russian strike a few days ago on Palm Sunday morning. (please see below) Monday, May 5 at 7:00 PM at Mason United Methodist Church:  — *The MUSIQUE DE LA CHAMBRE of LOUIS XIV* —    · Caroline Nicolas, viola da gamba    · William Simms, theorbo & baroque guitar    · Jeffrey Cohan, baroque and renaissance flutes           The King's court musical establishment is to be represented by Élisabeth Jacquet de La Guerre, Marin Marais, Robert de Visee, Francois Chauvon and others with our special guests from New York and Baltimore.            ✷  ✣  ✷  ✣  ✷  ✣  ✷ ***Mason United Methodist Church*    2710 North Madison Street in Tacoma www.salishseafestival.org/tacoma <http://www.salishseafestival.org/tacoma>      — Suggested donation $20 to $30 (a free will offering; pay as you wish) — 18 and under free            ✷  ✣  ✷  ✣  ✷  ✣  ✷ ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Ukraine "Olena Kohut was an incredibly bright person, a true professional, a caring colleague and a loyal friend. Her music, her smile, her kindness – will remain in our memory forever," her Sumy colleagues wrote. "Full of energy and creative plans, she was a true mentor and pillar of support for her students, helping them unlock their potential and believe in themselves. Kohut not only passed on her knowledge but also taught humanity, kindness, and optimism." *Listen *to Olena Kohut play "Vision" by Joseph Rheinberger, Opus 156 No. 5):**https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=BM_6kTqxVXQ      The Palm Sunday strike in Sumy this last Sunday killed 35 and injured 117, with 20 buildings damaged, including four educational institutions, shops and five apartment buildings.      A similar strike in Chernihiv on August 19, 2023 destroyed the Shevchenko Chernihiv Regional Academic Music and Drama Theater, while killing 7, injuring 214 and damaging 10 administrative and 66 residential buildings. On December 16, 2024, the Embassy of France sponsored Olena Zhukova and violinist Kateryna Boychuk in the rebuilt Theater in the first such cultural event for Chernihiv public since the beginning of the full-scale conflict.      It will be a great honor to feature Ukrainian harpsichordist Olena Zhukova, a tireless and fearless ambassador of Ukrainian culture, as she reflects the vibrancy of baroque performance practice in Ukraine and enlightens our musical perspective. ------------------------------------------------------------------------                       ✷  ✣  ✷  ✣  ✷  ✣  ✷ Your donations alone enable this project, are applied to all 2025 concerts equally and are gratefully accepted at https://www.salishseafestival.org/donate.html. Thank you!