At the end of September, Hyphen Dash, winners of the Grand Prix at the UA Jazz Prize 2025 — Ukraine’s first jazz award — will embark on a tour of Germany, Austria and the Netherlands.
Hyphen Dash represents a new generation of Ukrainian improvised music. The band consists of Mykhailo Birchenko — bandleader and drums; Yevhen Puhachov — guitar and bass; Polina Maiboroda — keyboards; and Dmytro Startsev — keyboards and effects.
Named Best Ukrainian Jazz Band of 2025, the quartet impressed the international jury with its bold musical language and distinctive artistic identity, combining complex structures with a sense of playfulness, dance and humour. Hyphen Dash stands out for its originality and adventurous approach to improvisation, revealing a young ensemble with strong international potential.
The jury also noted the band’s growing recognition on the European scene, describing Hyphen Dash as one of the most exciting projects to watch in the coming years.
The Ukrainian Jazz Prize was launched last year by the Ukrainian Institute in partnership with Europe Jazz Network. The award aims to support Ukrainian musicians and promote them internationally.
As the first Grand Prix winners of the UA Jazz Prize, Hyphen Dash will now embark on a European tour, performing at leading jazz venues with the support of Europe Jazz Network members. The band will also take part in the award ceremony during the European Jazz Conference in Cologne and perform a showcase for a professional audience of representatives from the European jazz industry.
Tour schedule
- September 23, 20:30 — Porgy & Bess, Vienna, Austria
- September 24, 20:30 — Jazzclub Unterfahrt, Munich, Germany
- September 26 — European Jazz Conference, Cologne, Germany — Ukrainian Jazz Prize award ceremony and winners’ concert
- September 27, 20:30 — Bimhuis, Amsterdam, Netherlands
- September 28, 20:00 — NICA Jazz Club, Hamburg, Germany
The UA Jazz Prize, Ukraine’s first jazz award, is presented in two categories: Best Jazz Band and Best Jazz Release.
The 2025 Best Jazz Release award went to Hilarious Disasters for their album Unnatural Root.
A curated playlist featuring tracks by the UA Jazz Prize 2025 finalists, selected by editors from leading jazz publications All About Jazz, Citizen Jazz and JazzThing, is available on YouTube and Spotify.
The UA Jazz Prize winners’ tour is organised through a partnership between the Ukrainian Institute and Europe Jazz Network, in cooperation with European Jazz Network members Bimhuis, Porgy & Bess, Unterfahrt and Jazzbüro Hamburg.
