Teenager who fled Ukraine to perform at Bedford gala concert after festival win

A teenager who escaped from Bucha and the war in Ukraine is set to perform at this Saturday’s festival gala in Bedford.

16-year-old Tetiana Kudas arrived with her brother and mother in Bedford last April – and being a talented singer, decided to enter the Bedfordshire Festival of Music, Speech & Drama.

On Sunday (March 5), she won two of her classes – a pop song for ages 16 and over, and a song in any living language year 11 and under.

And Tetiana has now been invited to sing at the festival gala this Saturday (March 11) at the Corn Exchange.

The refugee schoolgirl has even continued to have periodic online lessons with her music teacher in Ukraine – when her teacher has power and an internet connection.

At the start of the war, Tetiana sang to her family during the lull between shelling as they hid in an underground cellar.

And when the family escaped from Bucha and were sheltered by a family in Western Ukraine, she also sang to the family there in gratitude.

The Bedfordshire Festival of Music, Speech & Drama has been running for just over 100 years and attracts over 1,500 musicians and actors who perform in over 250 different competitive classes.

They are adjudicated by some of the country’s most eminent experts in music, speech and drama. And the event culminates in a concert – the festival gala.