Ep. 498: How Canada Saved Me
Guest: Sasha Luchkov
On February 24th, 2022, in the dark of the night in Mukachevo, Ukraine, Sasha Luchkov woke to the news that his country was under attack.
Sasha, a piano protege at the age of 17, was already an accomplished pianist. He had recently placed second in the Scherzo International piano competition, where he performed Beethoven’s Sonata #17.
Luchkov also performed at the Horowitz International piano competition and the Perugia MusicFest. When the war intensified, Luchkov says, “I was in fear of my life and I fled from Ukraine – first to Italy and with the help of Thrive Refuge, I made my way to Canada, which accepted me as a refugee.”
Luchkov says, “Canada and Canadians have been remarkably kind and helpful to me.” Through Thrive Refuge, Sasha was able to complete his high school education and is now attending UBC’s School of Music, studying under the direction of Dr. David Fung. On April the 12th, Sasha is performing at the Chan Centre for the Performing Arts in the Concert for Peace to help raise funds to support Thrive Refuge’s Fine Arts Bursary.
Sasha Luchov joins us for a Conversation That Matters about his journey to finding a second chance in Canada.
Want to learn more about our guest?
Check out their profile on our partnered program, Careers That Matter!
