The collective’s concert tour, titled “Sounds of Ukraine – to the Free World”, is a message of hope and love, linked to the desire to talk about Ukraine through the universal language of music. The charity concerts are aimed at supporting artists who remain in the country during the Russian military aggression.

The goal is to present the sound of one of the oldest symphony orchestras in Ukraine (the orchestra is 121 years old!) and to open a special programme for the public: a combination of contemporary Ukrainian music and outstanding works of European Romanticism. The tour is being held in cooperation with OPEN MUSIC PROJECT.

November, 7 and December, 13. TICKETS, Berlin

Ukrainian artist Violina Petrychenko will perform Vasyl Barvinsky’s Piano Concerto. Barvinsky is one of the most famous Galician romantics, the world of his music is very diverse, and deep, but almost always with a Ukrainian flavour. According to the soloist, “His musical style is very innovative and modern, despite the fact that he wrote in the first half of the twentieth century.” The orchestra will be conducted by Volodymyr Syvokhip.

The concert will also feature a presentation of the book “Like a Ray of Light in the Darkness. Briefe von Frauen aus der Ukraine an die freie Welt”) by Aurélie Bros. This is a collection of letters from Ukrainian women detailing their experiences during the Russian invasion, inspired by the author’s conversations with Ukrainian journalists.

Among the various works in these two programmes, the audience will be offered music by Yevhen Stankovych, one of the most famous living Ukrainian composers. He will be represented in the programme by his orchestral suite “The Night Before Christmas”. The suite is one of the best examples of contemporary Ukrainian ballet, combining the laughing element of art and the high quality of symphonicism. The composer uses quotations from world-famous masterpieces, subtly emphasises folklore motifs in the work, and immerses it in the mysteriously festive mystery of carols and a winter fairy tale. The orchestra will be conducted by Theodore Kuchar.

The Concerto for Violin and Orchestra by Jan Sibelius will be performed by the famous Ukrainian soloist Bohdana Pivnenko. For many years, Pivnenko has been actively promoting contemporary Ukrainian music in Ukraine and abroad, in particular in such halls as the Berliner Philharmonic, Weill Hall Carnegie Hall, Palau de la Musica Catalana and others. This time, she will play music full of light feelings, and sublime impulses. However, it is not devoid of moments of drama, which will let the listener into the universe of deep personal experiences of the lyrical hero.

The special piece on the programme will be Antonín Dvořák’s Symphony No. 9 in E minor. It is subtitled “From the New World”. Composing this work at the end of the nineteenth century, the Czech composer recorded his impressions of the American continent, its music and folklore in the score. At that time, America was a new, unexplored world for Europeans, which aroused great interest and admiration. Now, Ukraine and its people have become this new world for everyone, courageously resisting the aggressor, protecting and defending the most important thing – Independence.