RRI Special: Ukrainian MusicLab 2025
The second edition of a hybrid training and networking project dedicated to supporting Ukrainian artists
Ana-Maria Popescu, 27.10.2025, 12:46
This past week saw the final act of the second Ukranian MusicLab, a programme that put in touch emerging Ukrainian musicians with 14 professionals in 12 European countries, providing them with access to specialist feedback and wide-ranging knowledge of international development mechanisms, and which ended with a showcase night in Bucharest.
One year after the start of the Ukrainian MusicLab programme, Europavox, which produces festivals in 7 countries and operates Europavox.com, the first media dedicated to emerging European artists, together with the French Institute in Romania, and with support from Bucharest’s Control Club and Music Export Ukraine, organised a second edition of this hybrid training and networking project dedicated to supporting Ukrainian artists—residing in Ukraine or other European countries—in their international development process.
Europavox project manager Salomé Besse and the French cultural attaché Melanie Martini joined me in RRI’s studio to discuss the programme.
“In a way, they are part of a sacrificed generation, because of the war. Five years of your life that are stolen like this, it changes the whole course of your career. And it’s unfair. And they know it’s unfair. But they still show so much courage and so much talent, I was really impressed and inspired by them.” Melanie Martini
At the showcase night in Control Club I also got to have a quick chat with one of the bands in this year’s selection, the progressive rock / post-hardcore act Vovk.
