Ukrainian opera singer in Japan prays for peace in melody

When Oksana Stepanyuk, an award-winning soprano with the Japan Opera Foundation, performs “Melody,” composed by Myroslav Skoryk, a Ukrainian, her voice turns into a wail of mourning

TOKYO -- The Ukrainian song has no words.

When Oksana Stepanyuk, an award-winning soprano with The Japan Opera Foundation, performs “Melody,” composed by Myroslav Skoryk, her voice turns into a wail of mourning, a pensive but piercing prayer for her homeland.

“It’s like I’m crying through the melody for people who are already in heaven,” she said.

Stepanyuk, who has been singing in Japan for two decades, is dedicating her latest series of concerts to peace.