UNCSA MEDIA

UNCSA Media will release Poptimism, a new EP by Vesna Duo that reimagines pop, rock, and indie favorites for piano and percussion on March 1, 2026.

Conceived as a mixtape of music that has lived in their headphones for several decades, Poptimism reflects the shared listening history of Vesna Duo members Dr. Liana Pailodze Harron (piano) and UNCSA School of Music faculty member Dr. Ksenija Komljenović (percussion). The EP features inventive reinterpretations of songs by Sting, Hozier, Soundgarden, Beyoncé, Dean Lewis, and Rihanna—familiar repertoire reframed through a vivid acoustic lens.

About UNCSA Media
UNCSA Media is a mission-driven media publishing arm that features the creative projects of faculty and alumni from UNCSA across all disciplines and offers curricular opportunities for students to gain practical career skills in intellectual property and entrepreneurship. With two to three releases per year, UNCSA Media will feature music, film and video, plays, dance, and more, leveraging the conservatory’s five disciplines on one campus and its extensive worldwide network of talented alumni and faculty. UNCSA launched UNCSA Media in September 2023 with the release of “Windows,” a contemporary classical recording featuring UNCSA faculty members performing works by Valerie Coleman, Jessie Montgomery and Reena Esmail, as well as a world premiere commission by Kamala Sankaram, followed by alumna and singer/songwriter Cashavelly’s “Meditation Through Gunfire” in October 2024, and Stravinsky’s “Firebird Ballet Suite” with the UNCSA Symphony Orchestra in May 2025, and Zéphryos Winds’ “Desert Pass” featuring works Reena Esmail, David Sanford and UNCSA alum Tyson Gholston Davis in June 2025. 

UNCSA Media is made possible with funding and programmatic support by the Thomas S. Kenan Institute for the Arts. Learn more.