Ukrainian Sound Engineer Oleksandr Fedorenko Wins Silver Medal at Global Music Awards
Ukrainian sound engineer Oleksandr Fedorenko has received a Silver Medal from the independent international Global Music Awards (GMA) in the United States.
The Global Music Awards are widely regarded as one of the most authoritative independent honors in the music industry and are often described as the “gold standard of creative excellence.” The award is granted strictly for professional mastery. For a sound engineer, it serves as an international mark of quality, confirming that the work meets the highest global standards.
Fedorenko told journalists that when he received the official email from the Global Music Awards, he read it several times.
“The message said: ‘Congratulations. You received Global Music Awards honors. Silver Medal – Classical.’ A silver medal… What does this award mean to me personally? It is proof that the road I chose thirty years ago was the right one. And this award is not a full stop — it is a comma before a new page. It is evidence that Ukrainian sound is heard around the world. Ukraine sounds — and it sounds with dignity.”
Fedorenko believes that the project that brought him international recognition was the recording of Antonio Vivaldi’s Concerto in F minor, RV 297, “Winter, Allegro non molto.”
The piece was performed by the Kyiv Camerata under the direction of Valerii Matiukhin.
“I was entrusted with the recording and mixing, and I approached the material with great respect. Classical music does not forgive excess, but it rewards precision and sincerity. It is very honest music — it does not allow you to hide behind effects, compression or artificial gloss. Everything can be heard. The task was to convey a sense of presence, as if the listener were standing at the center of the hall, while preserving transparency, depth and the dramatic structure of the work,” Fedorenko said.
He added that he worked “as if history itself were standing nearby.”
“Every touch of the bow, every pause, every breath of the hall — I wanted to capture not just sound, but the atmosphere of the Baroque era, its majestic yet delicate style.”
According to Fedorenko, classical music requires absolute precision, and it was precisely this accuracy, combined with atmospheric depth, that attracted the attention of the GMA jury.
Oleksandr Fedorenko is a well-known Ukrainian sound engineer with extensive experience across multiple genres and performance venues. Thanks to his guidance, many young performers have learned how to work professionally with microphones and backing tracks, avoiding common stage mistakes.
Fedorenko consistently emphasizes that a sound engineer should be an “invisible co-author” — someone who realizes the performer’s vision without obscuring the living breath of the music.
Since 2022, Oleksandr Fedorenko has been working in the United States. In New York, he creates and hosts his original program, “Ukrainian Time – Melodies of the Ukrainian Soul,” on Davidzon Radio 620 AM. His broadcasts combine deep knowledge of music history with engaging stories about the creation of iconic recordings.
While no concert or recording can exist without a sound engineer, these professionals often remain unknown to the general public, working behind the scenes.
Through his radio programs, Fedorenko also introduces listeners to the studio and concert backstage of the sound engineer’s profession.
He actively promotes high-quality recordings and music with profound meaning.
In Fedorenko’s creative work, Ukraine and the United States merge in a powerful synergy. The Ukrainian school gave him musical sensitivity, attention to timbre and artistic thinking. The American experience added technological precision, attention to detail and professional discipline.
Ukraine is living through a time when the very existence of its people and state is at stake. Every act of international support today is a gesture of solidarity and a helping hand. International awards received by talented Ukrainians — such as Oleksandr Fedorenko’s Silver Medal from the Global Music Awards — are a source of national pride and a reminder to the world that, despite the war, Ukraine remains an active part of the global cultural landscape.
Oleksandr Fedorenko’s charisma and talent serve Ukraine, the United States and the world alike — because music knows no borders.
Oksana Oleshko, journalist
