Event Title:

Organization:

  Concert

  Austin

Start Date:

  2/17/2026

End Date:

  2/17/2026

Start Time:

  12:00 PM

End Time:

  1:00 PM

Event Info: 

  Acclaimed Oakland, CA-based vocal group Kitka Women's Vocal Ensemble brings its signature blend of haunting harmonies and fearless musical exploration to Austin with a free Midday Music Series concert at KMFA on Tuesday, February 17, 2026 at noon.

Renowned for its powerful close-harmony singing, Kitka draws on traditional and contemporary vocal music from the Balkan, Baltic, Caucasian, Mediterranean, and Slavic lands. For more than four decades, the ensemble has traveled to rural communities across Eastern Europe and the Caucasus, learning directly from village singers and culture bearers-many of whom represent the last living links to centuries-old communal singing traditions. These experiences inform Kitka's deeply expressive performances, where earthy dissonance and luminous blend converge to create a sound both ancient and strikingly modern.

The KMFA program celebrates the release of Kitka's newest album, Kolo, the ensemble's thirteenth recording on its independent Diaphonica label. Derived from a Proto-Balto-Slavic root meaning circle, wheel, or spiraling communal dance, Kolo evokes the eternal cycles of creation, growth, destruction, and renewal. The album weaves together traditional songs and newly created works that reflect Kitka's long-standing commitment to cultural preservation, innovation, and cross-cultural exchange.

Founded in 1979, Kitka is widely recognized for expanding the boundaries of folk music as a living art form-one that fosters deep listening, collective expression, and human connection across cultures. Whether on the concert stage, in recording studios, or through educational and community programs, Kitka's mission remains constant: to cultivate community through song and to amplify women's voices from around the world.

The Midday Music Concert at KMFA is free and open to the public. Advance reservations strongly encouraged.

http://www.kitka.org

Location:

  KMFA's Draylen Mason Music Stucio

Room:

Address:

  41 Navasota St.

Phone:

  510-444-0323

City:

  Austin

State/Province:

  TN