Music often accompanies a romantic date, but in Yuriy and Kristin Leonovich’s love story, music was much more than background noise — it brought their lives together.

The Leonoviches, both members of the University’s Division of Music, met when Dr. Yuriy Leonovich applied for a position at Bob Jones University and was interviewed by a committee that included his future wife, Kristin Figard.

After he was hired, Dr. Leonovich and Miss Figard began collaborating as musicians. They played together in last year’s Faculty String Quartet and worked together in another recital last February.

But they did not begin to see each other with romantic intentions until May 2014. Mrs. Leonovich said that, rather than going out on dates together, Dr. Leonovich would come visit her at home to talk with her and her parents and spend the day with them in a practice they now call “staying in.”

Mrs. Leonovich said, “We would spend just about all day talking about theology, what we had read in our Bibles, music, philosophies of life and pretty much everything under the sun.”

Though the pair often talked about music with one another, Dr. Leonovich said they truly connected around the Word of God.

As the Lord guided them, they recognized that they wanted to spend the rest of their lives together. Two months after they began “staying in,” Dr. Leonovich proposed.

While his soon-to-be fiancé was out hiking, he was out ring shopping—using one of her own rings her mother had sneaked to him as a sizing guide. Then he returned to her house and proposed the same day!

They were married shortly after in July. While the Leonoviches don’t advocate such a fast timeline for everyone, they believe God directed the pace of their relationship.

Now that they are married, the Leonoviches continue to enjoy being able to make music together.

“We really do seem to feel music the same way,” Mrs. Leonovich said. “You can have two fabulous musicians, but they might interpret things completely opposite. We really do feel most things with the same amount of passion and excitement, which makes playing together a lot of fun.”

Today at 5 p.m., Dr. and Mrs. Leonovich will perform a recital, on the cello and violin respectively, in Stratton Hall.

In this recital, they will premiere “Solomon,” a new piece written by Dr. Leonovich. Many of the other pieces they will perform are folk-influenced, because Dr. Leonovich is particularly fond of that style of music.

He said what he is most excited about for this recital is premiering his new piece and performing with his wife. This will be the second faculty recital they have performed in together, but their first as husband and wife.

This couple also has some exciting news to share. “We are super excited to be expecting a ‘Commencement-Day’ baby boy on May 8!” Mrs. Leonovich said.