WESTPORT– In commemoration of the fourth anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Ukraine Aid International (UAI) presents Keys of Resilience, a fundraising concert featuring Ukrainian pianist Ruslan Ramazanov. The event will take place on Thursday, March 5 at the Westport Country Playhouse at 7 p.m.

Shortly after the war began in 2022, Westport brothers Brian and Marshall Mayer founded UAI to provide humanitarian aid to Ukrainian towns near the Russian border. To assist in this effort, the Mayers established sister city relationships between Connecticut towns and corresponding Ukrainian cities. The first sister city connection was Westport and Lyman.

Westport, Easton, Weston, Fairfield, Stamford and Ridgefield continue to collect funds and equipment for their sister communities; UAI does the complicated job of delivering the more than $2,000,000 in cumulative aid to our Ukrainian neighbors.

All proceeds from the Keys for Resilience concert will provide drinking water, heat, power, medical equipment and infrastructure support, urgently needed in hard hit Ukrainian communities.

Featured Artists

Keys of Resilience features classically trained Ukrainian pianist and composer Ruslan Ramazanov. Ramazanov, who was forced to rebuild his life in the United States following the 2022 invasion, is currently a faculty member at the Boston Conservatory at Berklee. Ruslan will bring his passionate interpretations of masters Brahms, Chopin, Liszt, and even Gershwin, to Westport. He also will introduce audiences to the contemporary Ukrainian classical composer, Myroslav Skoryk.

Connecticut born, Ukrainian American soprano Teryn Kuzma is a fourth-generation bandurist, the 55-stringed Ukrainian traditional harp-zither. Kuzma will demonstrate her enthusiasm for performing contemporary Ukrainian works on the bandura and singing with her “terrific lyric soprano” (Post-Courier, 2024).

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