First things first- I love to start with a “get to know you” type question. Can you tell us a bit about your background- how you got into music, how your journey has gone? 

My journey has taken me around the world for sure! I grew up in Ukraine, studying piano and composition at age seven, and later attended the Kharkiv National Kotlyarevsky University of Arts. I then moved to Abu Dhabi, where I worked continuously as a composer as well as performer with a wide repertoire—from Mozart to Morricone. That period led to some incredible opportunities to share the stage with artists like The Rolling Stones, George Fenton, and Tommy Tallarico, as well as with major orchestras and choirs across Europe, the Middle East, and the United States.

As I continued to work on my original compositions, I was incorporating a Slavic “open-throat” style of singing that felt both personal and cinematic to me. I remember when I first heard Lisa Gerrard on (Hans Zimmer’s) Gladiator score – her voice had haunting beauty and power – it gave me the same goosebumps I would get when I hear the open-throat traditional style I grew up with. It’s so wonderfully cinematic. At that moment, I decided to move to Los Angeles to immerse myself in the creative community here, where I’ve been performing regularly, releasing cross-genre works, and collaborating with film and television composers.

You recently released Bells and Shadows, a Ukrainian-language cinematic ritual created in Los Angeles in collaboration with Emmy-nominated composer and producer David Majzlin.  Congratulations on your beautiful release!  Can you tell us more about the project, and what the collaboration was like?

Thank you so much! We’re incredibly honored that Bells and Shadows recently received the Grand Prize in the John Lennon Songwriting Contest (World Music category).

The piece was born from a deeply personal place. It reflects the experience of witnessing war from afar while remaining emotionally connected to a homeland that is fighting for its freedom and survival. I personally had to evacuate my family, who lived right next to the Ukrainian border with Russia. Sometimes you just feel helpless being so far away, and at the same time, there’s this powerful feeling that comes over you as an artist – where it feels like you must create something. To create is to be free.

Bells and Shadows was inspired by Ukrainian folklore and explores the idea that loved ones are lost on all sides in any war. The project grew out of my collaboration with my husband, composer and producer David Majzlin. During an earlier session, I introduced him to the traditional Slavic open-throat “white voice” technique. When we recorded it closely in the studio, the sound felt raw, immediate, and deeply human. That became the foundation for the piece. Rather than explaining war directly, the piece is more about grief and defiance existing in the same breath.

We wanted this to feel both ancient and modern. The arrangement is a cinematic blend of ritual percussion, bandura, flutes, tubular bells, string orchestra, and distorted guitars. David directed the music video for the piece, which was a joyous process – it really allowed us to express the song’s symbolism through another art form. The video is on YouTube, and the song is on all streaming platforms.

In addition to being a composer, you are also a vocalist.  We’d love to hear more about your vocal work, and how you use it in your composing.

I treat my voice as one of my primary compositional tools and enjoy the immediate connection between the voice and the idea – it’s an incredibly freeing experience. In this piece, I was attracted to a sort of “wailing woman” sound where the voice becomes almost like an instrument of memory or grief. Much of the sustained tones, melodic leaps, and textures come from that space. My vocal style is rooted in this open-throat Slavic traditional style. It’s a powerful, resonant sound that for me feels ancient and immediate.

Your signature style is a mixture of classical depth, traditional Slavic elements, and modern cinematic edge.  Can you talk a bit about how you’ve grown into this style, and what sort of projects you like working on or feel like best suit your unique style?

I grew up surrounded by Slavic folk traditions—ritual songs, ancient melodies, and polyphonic textures that carry deep emotional and cultural meaning. My grandmothers sang traditional Ukrainian and Russian songs to me, and I grew up singing in choirs. I love telling people who might not know that the original Christmas favorite “Carol Of The Bells” was originally titled Shchedryk and was written by Ukrainian composer Mykola Leontovych.

Those early experiences shaped my ear and my connection to the voice as a deeply expressive and cultural instrument.  At the same time, I have a great love of film and film scores. I’d listen to endless hours of Morricone’s work and just get transported by how he was using the voice. Incredible work! Over time, I realized my artistic voice naturally lives between these worlds: classical composition, ancestral tradition, and a cinematic sound. Overall, I think I just love working on projects that allow me to help tell a unique story – whether cinematic or intimate.

Two recent projects were a lot of fun and allowed me to combine both of my disciplines. One of David’s projects, punk rock film Wired For Chaos, had me playing Schubert through analog synthesizers while composer Katya Richardson’s Match In A Haystack had me singing in an open-throat style. I think every film score has its own specific needs, and it is a joy when I get to contribute in multiple ways.

Thinking about Bells and Shadows, I imagine that the community aspect of music is important to you.  How does community play into your practice as an artist?

Community is very important to me, especially having grown up in a community that has been devastated across the world. I’m grateful to be part of the Alliance of Women Film Composers. It’s an inspiring and supportive community, and I’ve learned an incredible amount from this group of amazing musicians. I think these diverse backgrounds and perspectives contribute to a thriving and creative ecosystem.

The Ukrainian community in Los Angeles has also been tremendously supportive. The diaspora organizes cultural events, festivals, and fundraisers, helping both preserve culture and support people back home.

What is exciting you these days?  Do you have anything coming up that you are looking forward to? 

Yes – Bells and Shadows is one in a series of works David and I are in the middle of producing. We recently signed some of the works for representation in film and television projects, and hope to hear one in a project soon! I’m just recovering from some minor surgery on my leg and am excited for a busy schedule of private performances coming up, as well as at the Ukrainian Cultural Center in Los Angeles, on March 22 for the Pysanka Festival, an annual celebration of Ukrainian culture and music.  Even when everything feels like it is being torn apart, I know that all artists have been blessed with gifts that can connect and heal people. The world needs you.

Interview by Connor Cook

Check Out Ganna’s Directory Page here!