RIAM pianist and composer Sulamita Pyvovar has won the solo oboe category of the 2026 West Wicklow Festival and Contemporary Music Centre Emerging Composer Competition with her work Cumha / туга.
Sulamita currently studies piano with Professor Lance Coburn and composition with Jonathan Nangle at RIAM. Her winning work will receive its world première by oboist Ben Gannon at the festival’s Rising Stars concert on Saturday 14 November.
Bringing together Irish and Ukrainian traditional songs, Cumha / туга explores shared expressions of longing, yearning and sorrow. The piece draws on the Irish sean-nós song Cúirt Bhaile Nua and the Ukrainian folk song Та нема гірш нікому (No One Has It Worse), using the oboe’s singing quality to bring their distinctive musical traditions into conversation. As the work develops, the two melodies become increasingly intertwined.
Reflecting on the piece, Sulamita said:
“As a Ukrainian living in Ireland, I wanted Cumha / туга to become a meeting point between my own musical heritage and the Irish musical tradition I have come to explore.”
She also spoke about the encouragement the award offers:
“Composition can be quite a solitary process. It’s not always easy to find the confidence or motivation to keep creating, so opportunities like this are particularly encouraging.”
Originally from Donetsk, Sulamita began studying composition at the age of seven. She continued her musical education in Lviv before relocating to Ireland in 2022 following Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. She has received awards in composition competitions in Ukraine and has written for a range of ensembles.
The competition supports the creation of new music by early-career and emerging composers in Ireland. Alongside a €500 prize, Sulamita will receive rehearsal and collaboration time with the festival’s Rising Star performers ahead of the première.
Congratulations to Sulamita on this achievement, and to runner-up Kian Beatty, whose work Nexus was highly commended by the adjudication panel.
Hear the winning work
The Rising Stars concert takes place at 12 noon on Saturday 14 November 2026 at The Manor House, Tulfarris Hotel, featuring RIAM alumni oboist Ben Gannon and current Doctor in Music Performance student at RIAM, pianist Ellen Jansson. Sulamita will also discuss her work with CMC’s Garrett Sholdice during the concert.
Find out more and book tickets on the West Wicklow Festival website.