Join us at 6 PM on Thursday, October 9th for an intimate evening of live music, poetry, and conversation with pianist, vocalist, and composer Sonya Belaya (CRF 2024) and poet Valzhyna Mort (CRF 2023), accompanied by bassist Kanoa Mendenhall, in celebration of Sonya’s new album Dacha (Ropeadope Records). This special event offers an exclusive preview of the record, co-produced by Caroline Davis (CRF 2025) with album artwork by Gohar Dashti (CRF 2024)—who will be in attendance to discuss the process of creating the artwork—the night before it’s available to the public.
Set in Civitella’s cozy Tribeca space, the program will blend live performance with a listening session and invite participants into the sonic and poetic landscape of Dacha‘s six-song cycle, rooted in themes of loss, cultural memory, and resilience. Written during the winter months following the onset of war, Sonya’s work is informed by her multifaceted background as a first-generation Russian-American artist. The project reflects a confrontation with her family history, including the passing of her grandfather from COVID-19, the wartime loss of her grandmother, a PTSD diagnosis, and the unresolved disappearance of her mother. The result is a narrative woven into an expansive, genre-defying work that examines intergenerational trauma and cultural nostalgia against the backdrop of diasporic experience.
Thursday, October 9th, 2025
6 PM Aperitivo
6:30 Performances and Q&A
7:30 Refreshments
This is a free event, however RSVPs are required as our capacity is limited.
Please RSVP to civitella@civitella.org by October 8th.
Album artwork by Gohar Dashti, courtesy Sonya Belaya.