The jazz trio Energizing Ukraine, featuring Olya Zhukova (cello & vocals), Johannes Dickbauer (violin), and Anton Zhukov (double bass), made its debut performance at the KIRCH’KLANG Festival Salzkammergut in the summer of 2025, captivating the audience from the very first performance.

The ensemble is part of the Energizing Ukraine initiative, which provides a platform for exiled musicians while simultaneously building new musical bridges. With jazz standards and original compositions, the trio combines virtuosity with a palpable joy of playing – adding a fresh, energetic touch to the festival program.

The jazz matinee will be complemented by a reading from the writer Marjana Gaponenko, who was born in Ukraine and now writes in German. Her texts will engage in a free dialogue with the ensemble’s music, adding a literary perspective to the morning’s program, exploring the interplay between language, rhythm, and origin.