In this special Eurovision-themed edition of Future Classic Women Awards, host Stefania Passamonte welcomes two exceptional young pianists and musicians from Ukraine: Anastasia Matsko (20) and Anastasia Rude (18), both students at the London Performing Academy of Music. The episode explores their remarkable journey from war-torn Ukraine to performing on some of the UK’s most prestigious stages, including the Royal Albert Hall for the BBC Youth Proms, where they performed in front of 5,000 people.
The students share their powerful experiences performing at the Royal Albert Hall and the Music Education Awards, where they masterfully bridged classical and contemporary music. Their program featured Ukrainian resistance anthems alongside innovative arrangements of Queen’s “Show Must Go On,” creating a poignant musical statement that celebrated their culture while addressing the ongoing crisis in their homeland. Despite the emotional complexity of performing at such grand venues while their families face danger in Ukraine, both artists found strength and purpose in using their platform to support their country.
Throughout the conversation, Passamonte discusses the importance of music education as a tool for peace, cultural understanding, and democracy. The episode celebrates how these young Ukrainian musicians are keeping their country’s cultural heritage alive through their performances, while also demonstrating the transformative power of classical music education in bridging different musical genres and bringing people together during times of crisis.
Main Topics
Two Ukrainian classical musicians, Anastasia Matsko and Anastasia Rude, discuss their experiences as LPMAM students performing at the Royal Albert Hall for the BBC Youth Proms
The students performed innovative arrangements bridging classical music with rock, including Queen's 'Show Must Go On' paired with Ukrainian resistance anthem 'First Melody' by Skoryk
Both artists came to London from different parts of Ukraine during the war—Anastasia from Lviv and Nastya whose family relocated to the USA—highlighting the displacement crisis
The emotional complexity of achieving major performance milestones while families remain in danger in Ukraine, and the responsibility these young musicians feel to represent their culture
The London Performing Academy of Music's philosophy of breaking barriers between classical, jazz, pop, and rock music genres while maintaining classical foundations
Music education's crucial role in fostering peace, cultural understanding, and democracy during times of conflict
The students' performances at prestigious UK venues including the Royal Albert Hall and Music Education Awards, showcasing Ukrainian classical composers and contemporary pieces
Full TranscriptHello and welcome to the 5th edition of Future Classic Women Awards with me, Stefania Passamonte, on the Women's Radio S...▼
Hello and welcome to the 5th edition of Future Classic Women Awards with me, Stefania Passamonte, on the Women's Radio Station, the program where we search for the most amazing new female artists on the classical panorama. Today is a very special episode and I have as guests two of my favorite students of the London Performing Academy of Music, Anastasia Matsko and Anastasia Rude. Good morning! Good morning! Good morning and welcome! So this is your first time on the Women's Radio Station, right? Yes, yes, yes. Super! And how is it to be on the radio? It's my first time in my life, so it's so exciting. I'm a little bit worried about this situation, a little bit, because my English is good but not so good. But I think it will be fine. Yeah, we will speak a lot today. Wonderful. And for you, Anastasia— well, you're both Anastasia, let's say. We call Anastasia Matsko Anastasia and Anastasia Root Nastya. Am I right? Or is there Or the other way around? How do you do it? So I'm Nastya. You are Nastya, okay. So Nastya is Anastasia Ruz, and she's the youngest one. How old are you, Anastasia? 18. 18, oh my gosh, I always think you're older. It's amazing. When did you turn 18? In September. Ah, in September, yes, when you just arrived here in London. Yes. So both Nastya and Anastasia come from Ukraine. You both come from Kharkiv, right? Yes, yes, we study in Kharkiv, so I just finished school in the last year, and but my city when I was born, it's Melitopol, it's Oblast Zaporizhzhia, so it's east of Ukraine, but from 6, when I was 6, we with my family came to Kharkiv, so there was my music school for 11 years, and I study there. Wonderful. And for you, Anastasia Matsko? I have to say the surname, I'm sure, otherwise people will not know. I arrived here from Lviv, but actually I was studying in Kharkiv when the war began, and I lived about a month in my hometown, Druzhkivka, and due to bad situation in my region, I had to move to Lviv. So after that, I came to London. Wonderful. Well, so you're both students of the London Performing Academy of Music, and, well, people that don't know I'm not just the presenter of the women's radio station, I'm also of the Future Classic Women Awards, I'm also the president of the London Performing Academy of Music, and I had, you know, the, the great pleasure, you know, to meet you online and to help you find a host and come here. So you're living together here in London. How was your first impact when you came to this country? Uh, I was shocked because I, I, I thought I will live, uh, not in London. So now I, now we live Zone 6, so it's London. It's London, yeah. And London is so busy city and very big city, so yeah, it's amazing city. And I thought, because before I came here, it will be every day rain, rainy day. Yeah, that's true, I thought the same, but actually it's a good weather here, better than Lviv. Really? Really, yes, that's true. Ah, that's very fun. Yes, it's now, it's so sunny, so now it's such May and in Ukraine now maybe, I don't know, 10-15 degrees and now we have 20, so yesterday was 21 degrees, so it's amazing weather here. It's really much better, much warmer than in Ukraine, much more stable, so I like this. It's really— but I mean, you come from different parts of Ukraine, although you studied in Kharkiv, right? So like, in your hometown where you were born, um, how is it far from Kharkiv? So, or you're talking about the weather like in all Ukraine? Uh, Ukraine is really broad. Exactly. Yes. And our part, eastern part, yeah, it's quite cold. In summer we have like 35 degrees, in the winter we have -20, so it's very, very different weather. And in the west of country it's very rainy, rainy and humid. I'm not really into this weather, but yeah. But do you still have family in Ukraine? Yes, my family is still in my hometown, Druzhkivka, in the eastern part. It's not really good situation now, but I hope it would be okay. Okay, and for you? My family not in Ukraine, so I think they are safe in USA, and I'm very happy because they not in Ukraine, because there is no safe. My mom very missed my hometown Kharkiv and Ukraine and Lviv and A lot of times when I call my mom, so we're talking about Ukraine, our town, east of Ukraine, west of Ukraine, and she every day want to go back to Ukraine, but now it's impossible because there is no safe. Maybe in Lviv there is little bit safer than in east of Ukraine, but It's not a good idea. Safe. Yes, still not safe. Well, what is amazing is that you came here and straight away I threw you to perform at the Royal Albert Hall for the Proms, for the Youth Proms. And what was— what impressed me the most, it was after the performance, I had some of you telling me that they had very mixed feeling. They were somehow extremely happy that they performed the Royal Albert Hall for such a big audience. It was 5,000 people, so that's big number. But at the same time, they were thinking about their families in Ukraine being, you know, under the bombing and being at risk. So they, they somehow thought that it wasn't— they were not allowed to be as happy as they were. Um, can you tell me a little bit about how it was to step on stage, to be at Royal Albert Hall backstage, and then, you know, go on stage and being welcomed by such a big applause? When I heard news from Stefania Passamonte that we will play our small ensemble in Albert Hall, oh my God, I was shocked because it's a very big stage. So it's most bigger stage in my life. So I played a lot of concerts in Ukraine, like ensemble and solo, and it was not so big stage, yes, but it's one of most popular stage in England, in the world, so I think everyone musician has to know about Albert Hall, about our schools in England, about Royal Academy of Schools, so yeah, it was amazing. And we have had a lot of rehearsals from 10 in the morning to 3, 4, 9, I am in the union, so of course it was hard because it's— It was very last minute, we have to say that. So that was thanks to the head of the Musicians for Youth. So that was a fantastic initiative. And they invited me like less than 2 weeks before, something like that. I don't know, a month, a month. And yeah, we had to decide the program and that was a very special program. And then we wanted everyone to be on stage. So we had a few pianists, and they couldn't all play the piano. So you, Nastya, had to sing, although you have a beautiful voice. But Anastasia Matsko, you managed to play the piano as well in one of the two pieces. Now, both of them, they're classical pianists. But what we are very strong at the London Performing Academy of Music is in opening, in breaking the walls, if you like, between classical, jazz, pop, rock. So because music, when it's beautiful, it doesn't matter where it comes from. So of course, having the classical basis of being a classical pianist allows you to play anything you want. But it's a different thing to play Queen's Go Masco On, for example. So that's what we did. We did First Melody, that is the unsung anthem of the resistance in Ukraine. And then we played an arrangement of Show Must Go On that turned into a song by a very— say, yeah, Elze. Yes, that's right. Yeah, that, that means— the song means Without a Fight was the title, right? So somehow the meaning was so strong. And what was impressive that we were able to bridge from such a fantastic legendary rock song, British rock song, into a legendary Ukrainian rock song. So before we go on, actually, we're going to listen to it. And then we're going to talk with Anastasia Madsko, and she's going to tell us how was it to play. So this was Melody by Skoryk, the unsung anthem of the resistance in Ukraine. And then we heard Queen's Show Must Go On turning into the very famous Hetzera song Without a Fight. So the words and the harmony somehow were connected together. Now tell us, Anastasia Matsko, how was to play the piano Well, first of all, it was the greatest honor for me to perform on this stage. It was the biggest stage in my life, so crowded, so— it was really fascinating to play here. And yeah, it was not— I was not really worried about it, but I felt fantastic. I don't know, it was incredible to perform here. And yeah, I think that This is the greatest experience for me, for all of us to perform everywhere and especially on this stage in this hall. So I think I'll remember this for all my life. Yeah, absolutely. I mean, I didn't play on that stage until now, somehow. So you did it before me. Well done. But I mean, You know, I had one of our students, an Italian Erasmus student, who was telling me how he trembles when he goes on stage. Did you feel like trembling when you went on that stage, or were you just somehow— the adrenaline lift you up and make you, you know, fly? I was not really scared. I didn't feel like I'm afraid of this stage, but it was really that feeling that you are so thrilled about this and you feel really excited to perform here and you're so happy to perform and to perform as Ukrainians and you try to show your culture, to show who you are, to support Ukraine as you can. So I was really happy about it. Absolutely. And for you, Anastasia, I mean, you are so young, 18. I mean, Anastasia Masko, you're not that older. How old are you? I'm 20. Oh yeah, 20. Okay, you're ready to go in the '20s. You're not a teenager anymore. But Anastasia Ruda, I mean, that's a very big achievement at 18 to be on that stage and to perform. Was your family proud? Yeah, of course, my family, my mom proud of me because, uh, it's, uh, when I was child, it's I want to play piano and I want to play violin. So, and he found somewhere piano for me when I was almost 5. So yes, I think she's very proud of me. And about our performance in Albert Hall, so when I came to stage with our team, with our Ukrainian guys, students, I forgot about everything because there was a lot of people, 5,000 people, our stage, our instruments, our pianist, oboist, flutist, double bassist, a small choir, and it was things about our songs, so I was very excited. So it was amazing. All right. Now, we performed again. We were very lucky. We performed for the Music Education Awards, and we chose a completely different program that was mainly classical, classical. So actually, we did play again Show Must Go On, uh, turning into Ezra, because everyone loves this fact that we can perform from totally classical to total rock and roll. But that's how music should be, you know. My WhatsApp picture everyone knows is my top hat, uh, profile from my transcendental studies by Liszt. So it's totally classical, but my motto is ready to rock, and that's what we need to do. That's how life should be taken. So at the Music Education Awards here in the UK, we were very fortunate that we were featured in front of some of the champions of music education. And that's, I believe, is what brings any society, education in general, towards the future. You know, if there is no education, there is no understanding of each other's, and there is of each other cultures as well, and there is no opportunities for democracy and for peace. And that's what we're doing really with music and with these wonderful young talents from Ukraine, who are keeping their country alive through their culture, through their classical composers. So we performed two very important classical composers. One was Eliatoschinsky, that is one of the biggest romantic composers with melody. And the other one was Spanish Dance by Skoryk. Now, Spanish Dance, we performed it again for a big event in Erasmus program, with 5 Italian conservatoires. So we were 6 conservatoires performing together. That was really big. And Spanish Dance is the last piece I heard when I was in Ukraine in October 2021. So I was in Ukraine, and that's when I signed the partnership with the Kiev Conservatoire, and I was able then to sign the military letters, permissions for the boys to come over and transfer here and not to go to fight the war, but fight here through their music. And so I heard this piece performed by some of the professors of the Kyiv Conservatories, and I was blown away by this piece. I thought, what is this piece? I didn't know until Lola, who is one of our students, oboist, she found out which piece it was. And so we— I made an arrangement of it and we performed it together. And what was very sweet, we have one of our friend who is not a student of LPMAM, but is basically an honorary member of LPMAM, is called Sam Teale. He is a violinist, a young violinist who graduated from Royal College of Music, and he joined us to perform this piece and says, you know, whenever you're playing that piece, I want to be there, you know, no matter where I am, I just come and play with you again. So how was it to perform with all these international students? For the Stabat Mater that we did back in March? I remember it was really, as I said, exciting because it's a great experience to share your knowledges with someone, to speak to different nationalities, to speak to different musicians, to make music together, which is really interesting because these people I saw first in my life, and we started to play immediately. It was really great because we played really good, and yeah, I really like this piece. It's so— it touched my soul already, and I was really happy to perform this with different people, with different musicians, the Italians who understood this music, and yeah, I'm really happy about this. I mean, what is impressive of Spanish dance, and that somehow criticized me, this is why it's called Spanish dance, it's not Ukrainian. Doesn't matter. Truth is, you know, music unites, and, uh, you know, it's something that can really bring us together. So we were Italians, we were English, we were Ukrainian professors and students performing together, and in the end, it's composed by a Ukrainian composer, one of the most legendary ones, Skoryk. Um, so Miroslav Miroslav Skórik. And you know, actually I performed Miroslav Skórik like 15 years ago, uh, without you— when you were a baby, Anastasia— Nastya. But that was my first time in Kyiv. I performed at the Philharmonia at the Lisenko Column Theatre, and, uh, it was beautiful. I really loved it. And so among all the various composers I could perform, I had 2 pieces, and one was from Lysenko and the other one was from Skorik. And what I loved about him is that he's a classical composer, but he could bring in, you know, so modern appeal to it, and that's what we like. I mean, it's really bringing classical music to the 21st century. That is the motto of Elpiman. So let's listen to Skorik's Spanish Dance, and then we will go on with Anastasia Matsko and Anastasia Rubinshtein. And this was a Scottish Spanish dance performed by the El Piemama Ensemble Orchestra with the Erasmus students from all around Europe. So that was fantastic. Now, next session, I'd like to ask you, have you ever thought, dreamt, that you would be one day here in London? Studying music here instead of being in Ukraine? Yes, I knew from my very childhood that I would like to live in London, in the United Kingdom. Really, it was my dream to come here and to live in England. Really? Wow. And, and how was— what was, you know, that you were dreaming of? Because, for example, when, um, the very first one arrived, they were telling me they grew up with Harry Potter or with, uh, Sherlock Holmes. So was something to do with that? Yes, I was so excited to just to walk on streets and to recognize these sites. It was so exciting to see all these places, to be in the center of London, to feel all this atmosphere of city. It's, it's so exciting, really. And for you? I never seen that I will be in England like students, so it was, will be a small part of my life. Life. Maybe like tourist, I would come here, I don't know, maybe for 2 weeks, 1 month maximum. But 9 months ago, I thought about LPMM, so amazing conservatory, and from my friends from Lviv. And I wrote to Stefania, and she was very lovely. She helped me with the visa, with our sponsor, with a lot of things. So, oh my God, I'm very happy to be here. And because of all, studying Ukraine, like music study in Ukraine, it's so hard. Online, it's impossible. It's crazy. It's horrible because I don't know how we can play, play, for example, in piano or violin and with telephone, so in call with my teacher. So it's so hard. So, and play piano or have lessons physically in the conservatory, in this teacher. So it's amazing. It's for musician, it's, it's very happy thing. So wonderful. Well, what have you done as, you know, young persons in London that is something that you would have done only here? Here, if you like. Have you done anything that you would have never done in, uh, in Ukraine, or something that you would have done if you were in Ukraine anyway, something that is similar? Um, I never thought about it. I don't know, I just, I was really into studying and searching, looking for a job, so I didn't go to I don't know, to hang out somewhere. We just— me, Anastasia and I was always like going somewhere to see some sights, to see Big Ben, London Eye, the Thames River and so on. It's really exciting, but yeah, I think that's the main thing about it, to see all this, the greatest heritage in your own eyes. Yeah, it was— I was so happy about it, to see it in my own eyes and to experience all this. Well, have you been to the museums? Um, unfortunately no. No, no, we was in one museum near, um, near Saint Paul when we had one concert. I don't remember name of museum. The City of London, maybe? The City of London Museum? I don't know, it was with, uh, with the students. Ah, it was South Kensington. Yeah, we had the Victoria and Albert Museum or the Natural History. Was the one with the dinosaurs or the one— the other one? Without dinosaurs. It was, yeah, before the Royal Albert Hall. Yeah, we went to the nearest museum. Yeah, it was without dinosaurs, but it was really beautiful museum. I like it so much, really. We had— we saw lots of Queen's jewelry. Yes, lots of, um, so yeah, so that's the Victoria and Albert Museum. Next it. On the other side, and I recommend you to go, there is the National History Museum with all the dinosaurs, and that's where they made the movie Night at the Museum. Have you seen the movie with Ben Stiller, that where the museum becomes alive? Yes, yeah, I saw a few times. It was when I was child. We— I have twin brothers, so yeah, we saw this movie like 2 or 3 times. So yeah, it's fantastic. You should watch it, uh, Nastasia Matsko. So the very first one is in New York at the Metropolitan Museum, and the second one, when they did, you know, a follow-up, they did it in London at the National History Museum. And then, you know, what, you know, I'm Italian as well, so I came here as a student a few years ago, 20 years ago, and more than 20 now. Um, but I remember I was so shocked about the fact that the museums are free, and you can go in any single day, and you can go back again and again. Because in Italy, you have to pay a ticket. It's a very expensive ticket, and then there is always a very long queue, you know, to go inside. It's the same if you go to Louvre. Louvre is not free either in Paris. And I think most of the museums— I've been in America many times, and there as well, there is no free museum. Only in London, I mean, in the UK, that is the most incredible thing for anyone, from any tourist, for any person passionate about history, about art. So if you go to the National Gallery, I was so impressed. You could just walk for free and go in any day and see, I don't know, a Picasso or a Rembrandt, and you could almost touch it, you know. So that's the beauty of this country, is this passion for culture, this openness and this, you know, accessibility for anyone. That and the theaters, the music. There is so many shows, so many offering in any level, in any direction. So girls, I definitely recommend you to go and see some musicals. Musical, this is another type of classical music of the 20th century, if you like. If you go and see Les Misérables, really the composers are are classical composers and they build up these incredible musicals, starting with that and then going to the, you know, the UK hero that is Andrew Lloyd Webber with The Phantom of the Opera or anyone else here. And what I love about musicals, for example, is that you can get very cheap tickets as students, so you can really see— these are the best of the world, in the world, you know, is London West End and then is New York, uh, Broadway, and that's it. And then everyone else follows. So you're so lucky, you are in the heart of everything. And definitely go and see that. Now, talking of heart, this country and everything, how amazing it is for culture, what did you think about the Eurovision? I was so excited to know this news that we will perform for like 5 finals of Eurovision, as I understand, and I'm so thrilled about it. I hope we'll see us on the television. Yeah, it's a big honor for us, really. Yeah, we thought about Eurovision before 3 or 4 days before our performance, and it was in last minute, and it was so hard. But our students were little but professional musicians, so, and of course for one day and for 3 hours, 3-4 hours, it's so hard to put together something. Yeah, yeah. But our our Ukrainian team, we understand one, one each, each one. So it was much easier than we played with students who we don't know, or it's of course harder. But yeah, a few days ago we had a rehearsal for 2 hours and we, I think, play amazing for this time. So I know, absolutely. Well, let's explain to the audience because they don't know. Basically, we've been asked on a Wednesday evening if if we could perform something that might go on the campaign, the United by Music and the Unity Wave in connection with the Eurovision. Now this is something we had in mind before because we had some of our students that performed with Sam Ryder back in October for National Album Day. Um, so it was at the beginning of our first academic year altogether here in London, and it was in connection with the Eurovision. So we were hoping we could do something for the Eurovision. And so we performed, um, so that was very complicated as well because not just of learning something, but what we did, we did, um, an arrangement of Cernobrizhi, and that is this very popular beautiful folk song, um, brought to the classical stage by Verminich. So we made— I made an arrangement for the whole ensemble of the Ukrainian students of LP MAM. Uh, but after we did something very special. So we asked the Kalush Orchestra and Goa if we could arrange, um, a special rendition of Stefania, the winning song of the Eurovision, and Shum, that was one of the biggest— Shum, one of the biggest success at the Eurovision. I think it was 2021.— so by the other Ukrainian group, GOA. They performed actually on stage at the Eurovision this year in Liverpool. And so we were granted the permission by both bands, and the students were honored, not just because they got the opportunity to be in touch with these heroes, musical heroes of them, but then, you know, to give their own impression of this song. Now, What did you think about the show? I mean, about the Eurovision being in Liverpool instead of Ukraine, for example, and at the same time to be so near to you? Um, it's of course very sad that, uh, Eurovision was not in Ukraine due to these circumstances. Of course, it's really sad, but at the same time, it's really interesting that the United Kingdom supports us and And we are really grateful for this, to make this show, the biggest show, musicians' show in Europe, in Liverpool. And it's really exciting that it goes so close to us. And then we saw it on television and we took part in this and it's really, it's incredible. So yes, we saw it on television while we was working. I remember this and yes. Well, did you like the song? Do you like Stefania? Yeah, of course. First day when I heard Stefania song, it was the last year in Eurovision and yeah, it's amazing song. But I start listening every day this song when I was— it was summer so it was maybe like June, July, and I listened this song every day. Yeah, this song is so incredibly popular. It was so popular in Lviv especially, in all over Ukraine, everybody was listening to this song. So it's like kind of symbol of our fighting, of our strength, of our— you know, when we had the Eurovision, um, I was under a lot of stress because I was trying to save as many as I could, and I was spending so many hours on the computer preparing documents, trying to do the visa, matching people with hosts. Um, so I was so tired, and I was working day and night. And then we had the Eurovision, and my husband is American, American, and he's crazy about the Eurovision. It is crazy. He just love it because as an American, there is only American music basically in America. And so to be able to see different countries with different styles making their own takes on American styles, for example, um, mixing, for example, with Stefania, mixing the traditional flute, Ukrainian folk flute and the Ukrainian language with the rhythm of rap, for example, in the middle. So it's really impressive. So he's so blown away by the originality of what he can see. Some, some is crazy, some others are incredibly good, like it was Stefania. And then of course the fact that was called Stefania. So I was there and suddenly we see the Ukrainian coming up shouting my name and I thought, oh my gosh, I understand. I have to go back to work. I shouldn't be here watching. I need to go to work. It's clear. The message is very clear. But the words are very important. I mean, I read the translation. So he composed— the singer of the Kalush Band, right? He composed the song for his mom and is saying that no matter what will happen, his mom will find a way to bring him home, something like that. Yeah, yeah. So it was a song about mom, so it was a song with a sense. So, so do you think about your mom? Do you miss your mom? Of course I do. Yeah, I haven't seen my family for 9 months. Of course I miss my family and my hometown, but I hope I will be back back this summer to see them like for a while. So we hope all— yeah, same situation with me. I didn't see my family, all family. So I have, uh, mom, dad, brother, sister, and I didn't see them for 9 months here from September, so from my birthday. I very miss them, of course. Well, I hope you can see them very soon. I We are now under exams, so it's a bit stress. We had the Eurovision, we had exam, we have more concert coming up. We have one on 28th of June with the some very universities in partnership with them. It's a special fundraising concerts for rebuilding schools in Ukraine, so that's very special. And then we're gonna have our final gala concert at Conway Hall, uh, that is where we recorded the the videos for the Eurovision, uh, Conway Hall. So it's on 12th of July. Everyone that is listening to us and would like to come and support us, please come. 12th of July is gonna be in the evening at 6:30, um, and we're performing many pieces including the one that you heard today. So now we're gonna listen to Queens, uh, no, pardon, we're gonna listen to, um, uh, and Stefania Schum in our rendition from the LP MAM ensemble. And this was Verminych, Chernobyltsy, followed by Stefania Shum, a special arrangement made by the LP Mam Ukrainian students. Well, it was wonderful to have you today. You know, I didn't ask about the meaning of Chernobyltsy. Do you know a little bit about the song? I know that it translates in calendula, that is a flower. It's, uh, But why is it so popular in Ukraine, apart from the fact that it's beautiful? This? It sounds a bit like a lullaby. Is it a lullaby? It's kind of a lullaby. It's also a song about mother. Yeah. And we have lots of Chernobyl in Ukraine and my grandparents have these flowers. They're so beautiful. So cozy. Yes. And this song is also folk song, very heartwarming, heart— soul touching. And this song is about mother that they are becoming old and you— and this song is about the sorrow about this, that your mom become old and these flowers remind you about her. So that's the meaning of the song. I can ask you instead, Shum, what's the Shum song about? I mean, we know about Stefania, we know about Cianobrizzi, but Shum, it's such a special song, it's very strong, and it's just, you know, looking at you and gets faster and faster in the end. We don't remember. It's all right. Well, it was a pleasure having you here with me today. What's the next— so what are you gonna perform next? You're gonna perform for the chamber music you play together, right? So what are you gonna play? So we have a pretty big program now, so we play by Piazzolla Libertango, we have two Slavonic dance numbers by Dvořák, and Hungarian dances by Brahms. Oh, I love Brahms! So what's your favorite composer? For duo? In general? At all? Do you have one in general? My favorite composer is Frédéric Chopin. My favorite composer as well, Frédéric Chopin, but I very like Bach. Yes, but it's different composers, so— and I think I feel Bach, and my teachers said about this because when I play in my exams, I played usually Bach Bach, Prelude and Fugue, one Sonata, one Etude, and one big piece. So, and I can feel in Bach's Sonata there is different moods, like, and I think it's Bach, it's for me. Well, I love Bach, and Chopin was a big fan of Bach, you know, so he composed the Third Sonata. He was, when they started to rediscover Bach, who somehow got forgotten during the Classical period, and that's why the Third sonata is so complicated because he starts to put in some fugato, some many voices in the right and left hand. So yeah, so if you love Chopin, you cannot not love Bach as well. Well, it was a pleasure having you today at the Women's Radio Station on Future Classical Women Awards. If you have any questions that you would like to ask to our guest or nomination for our Future Classical Women Awards, please email presenters@womensradiostation.com or tweet us @WomensRadioSTN. Again, a big thanks to our guests Anastasia Matsko and Anastasia Root for the wonderful chat and the beautiful music you played today. Thank you so much. Thank you for inviting us to radio. It was so nice, so exciting, so lovely. Thank you so much. You're very welcome. We had very much fun. You've been listening to Future Classical Women Awards on Women's Radio Station, live every day at 10 AM and 10 PM London time. And if you would like to listen to it again or catch up on our previous programs, you can head to my presenter's page, Stefania Pasamonti, monte/futureclassicwomenawards on womensradiostation.com. Thank you for listening.