Vira Slywotzky founded Vira + Friends in May 2018 to bring people together to enjoy the live performance of music written for voice and piano. Since that time Vira + Friends has become a mobile musical variety show with an expanded mission of developing audiences for classical music and providing a platform for composers traditionally neglected by the Western canon. Vira + Friends thrives on partnering with organizations such as the Billion Oyster Project and Razom for Ukraine, promoting their work and fundraising for them through themed concerts. A long term international project presenting the works of women composers is underway - the launching performance took place in Paris in June 2024. Ukrainian Music Initiative operates under the umbrella of Vira + Friends. Vira + Friends is a nonprofit corporation under the auspices of the Ukrainian American Educational Center of Boston, a 501(c)(3).