Biographies:
Veronika Barylo
Veronika Barylo is a Ukrainian soprano from Kyiv, currently studying Vocal Studies at the Royal Academy of Music in London. She began her musical education at the Kyiv Special Music School named after Mykola Lysenko before continuing her studies at Chetham’s School of Music following the outbreak of war in Ukraine.
Recent performance highlights include the role of the Nightingale in Ravel’s L’enfant et les sortilèges and appearances as a soloist in Bach’s Non sa che sia dolore with a baroque orchestra. Veronika is the recipient of the Luxon Amit Singing Bursary for Young Singers in Folkestone, the Judith and Henry Tankel Memorial Award for Singing Excellence, the Thomas Raymond Reesby Award (Young Sounds), and the Landkreis Nordsachsen Prize at the Torgau Singer Academy. She is currently attending the Franz Schubert Institut Summer Programme in Austria and receiving coaching from Barbara Hannigan.
Veronika Barylo is a Ukrainian soprano from Kyiv, currently pursuing her studies on the programme at the Royal Academy of Music. She previously studied at the Kyiv Special Music School and subsequently at Chetham’s School of Music following the outbreak of war in Ukraine. In addition to her classical repertoire, her artistic work maintains a strong connection to Ukrainian folk and art song traditions.
Recent performance highlights include the role of the Nightingale in Ravel’s L’enfant et les sortilèges, as well as appearances as a soloist in Bach’s Non sa che sia dolore with baroque orchestra. Veronika is the recipient of the Luxon Amit Singing Bursary for Young Singers in Folkestone, the Judith and Henry Tankel Memorial Award for Singing Excellence, the Thomas Raymond Reesby Award (Young Sounds), and the Landkreis Nordsachsen Prize at the Torgau Singer Academy. She is currently receiving coaching from Barbara Hannigan.
Arthur Kokerai
Arthur Kokerai is a Zimbabwean pianist and composer, currently studying at the Royal Academy of Music in London. Born in October 2006, he began his formal musical education at the age of six, studying piano with Elena Plyashkevich. Alongside his principal studies, he also studied composition with Vyacheslav Osminin.
In June 2024, Arthur graduated with distinction, receiving a Secondary Vocational Education Diploma with the qualifications of Performer, Music Teacher, and Collaborative Pianist. Since September 2024, he has been a full-scholarship and Named Award recipient at the Royal Academy of Music, where he is pursuing a Bachelor of Music (BMus) degree under Professor Joanna MacGregor SBE FRAM, Dame Myra Hess Chair of Piano.
Despite his young age, Arthur has already performed in a number of renowned concert venues, including the Small Hall, the Great Hall, and the Rachmaninoff Hall of the Moscow State Conservatory, as well as the Zaryadye Concert Hall and the Moscow International House of Music.
Alongside his performing career, Arthur has also established himself as a composer. While his catalogue includes a number of smaller chamber and piano works, his three large-scale works to date are the Piano Quintet, the Violin Concerto, and the vocal cycle Veronika, based on poetry by Lesya Ukrainka. His Piano Quintet was published in the Gnessin Edition series after receiving the Composition Prize at the Gnessin Special Music School Competition in 2024. Both the Piano Quintet and Veronika have been performed at the Royal Academy of Music Piano Summer Festival, in the David Josefowitz Recital Hall and Duke’s Hall, respectively.
Arthur has received First and Grand Prix awards at numerous international piano competitions. Among his distinctions is the Third Prize (Bronze Medal) at the XI International Tchaikovsky Competition for Young Musicians.
Programme:
TBC
Find our Church:
St John the Evangelist, Upper Norwood
Sylvan Road, SE19 2RX, London
Free Parking
Available on Auckland Road, Sylvan Road, and the surrounding areas.
Public Transport
Bus Routes: 249, 410, SL6, N68, 196
Closest Train Station: Crystal Palace (approximately 0.6 miles away)
Contact Us
Any questions? Please visit our Contact Page or email us at office@sjun.org.uk.