Roman Baranskiy is a Ukrainian-born composer, teacher, and instrumentalist based in California. A graduate of the San Francisco Conservatory of Music, his work blends classical form with jazz harmony, folk melody, and electronic textures.

Earlier in his career, Baranskiy’s music focused on abstract, process-driven techniques — exploring spectralism, serialism, and geometric forms. His orchestral work Birds Landing, inspired by murmuration patterns in birds, earned first prize from the International Conductor Union, a silver medal from the Global Music Awards, and was a semifinalist for The American Prize. His chamber piece Aura, commissioned by CAPMT and scored for electric guitar, flute, and vibraphone, received an Honorable Mention from Tribeca New Music.

Following Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine, Baranskiy experienced a shift in creative direction. While the formal complexity of his earlier work remains part of his voice, it now serves a different purpose — supporting a more intuitive, melodic language shaped by the folk music and emotional landscape of his upbringing. His current focus is a series rooted in Ukrainian folklore, beginning with Chuhayster, a jazz/classical fusion piece based on a wild Carpathian forest spirit. The next piece in the cycle, Mavka, continues this reimagining of mythic figures as vessels of cultural memory, resilience, and renewal.