The safe space of music

Internationally acclaimed pianist Alexander Gavrylyuk is swapping the world’s grandest concert halls for something far more intimate this October, as he performs in Sydney and Melbourne with Live at Yours.

Following his sold-out national tour with the Australian Chamber Orchestra, the Ukrainian-born virtuoso, hailed by Gramophone Magazine as a “prodigiously gifted pianist and life-force”, will appear at Sydney’s Great Synagogue and Melbourne’s Toorak Synagogue.

The program is a rich blend of brilliance and depth, featuring Liszt’s whirlwind Tarantella, Mozart’s sparkling Sonata in C Major, and a moving selection from Chopin, including the Fantasy in F minor, Fantasy Impromptu, and a soul-stirring nocturne.

For Gavrylyuk, playing in these sacred spaces is more than a concert, it’s an act of connection. “It’s very humbling,” he told The AJN. “Spaces like that carry so much spirit. Generations of prayer, memory, human experience. When one plays there, one feels as if the sound isn’t only singular anymore, it belongs to something much bigger, shared. To bring music into that kind of atmosphere is a real privilege.”

The Sydney concert will be held under the Great Synagogue’s magnificent starry ceiling, while Melbourne audiences will gather under Toorak Synagogue’s Byzantine dome and stained-glass windows. Both will be hosted by broadcaster Megan Burslem, adding warmth and storytelling to the evening.

But beyond setting and repertoire, Gavrylyuk sees music as a deeply human force.

“Music can’t fix the world, but it can hold us together in moments when things feel heavy,” he said. “It reminds us that underneath everything, we share the same human core and spirit. For me, that’s its power. It creates a safe space where empathy and connection can appear, even if just for an hour.”

That philosophy resonates with the Live at Yours vision, created by Gavrylyuk’s close friend Vladimir Fanshil.

“What he has built is extraordinary,” Gavrylyuk commended. “It brings music back to that old idea of people gathered together in a room, listening deeply. It’s one of the most rewarding ways to play.”

For an artist who has performed with the New York Philharmonic, Moscow Philharmonic and Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, the chance to break down barriers between stage and audience feels especially meaningful.

“It’s so different from a big hall,” Gavrylyuk said. “Suddenly the barrier disappears. It feels less like performing and more like sharing, almost like a long conversation through sound.”

The last time Gavrylyuk performed for Live at Yours was just after the October 7 Hamas-led massacre in Israel. The musician, who won the Arthur Rubinstein International Piano Master Competition in Israel in 2005, has visited the country almost every year since to perform.

“I have a very strong feeling of connectedness to Israel and the culture there. There are so many people there who are dear to me,” he told The AJN in November 2023 ahead of the Live at Yours concerts.

“I am extremely saddened and shocked at the brutality of what happened, and my heart is full of pain connected to that,” he explained. “In my opinion, music makes us reflect upon emotions that we’re all experiencing. It helps take away that first layer of difference of why the emotion is there in the first place, basically creating this space where people can connect.”

It’s a sentiment that Gavrylyuk still holds dear.

“Music for me has always been above ideology- it belongs to everyone equally. That’s why I try to keep it independent from politics: so it can remain a place where everyone feels welcome.”

Alexander Gavrylyuk will perform with Live at Yours on October 9 at Sydney’s Great Synagogue and October 12 at Melbourne’s Toorak Synagogue. For tickets, visit liveatyours.com.au