Ukrainian Freedom Orchestra is going on tour for the third time. The project was established in 2022 thanks to the initiative Metropolitan Opera in New York and The Grand Theatre – National Opera in Warsaw. It was created to show solidarity and sympathy for people from Ukraine. It is a spiritual support for the fighting country, but also a material expression of help for musicians who were forced to flee their homeland. The orchestra consists of refugees and instrumentalists from various European countries. The funds that will be collected during the performances will go to artists in need.
During the two previous concert tours, the orchestra was conducted by Keri-Lynn Wilson. This time she will lead the performances again. She is Canadian of Ukrainian origin, so working with a team of refugees is important to her both for professional and personal fulfillment. They will perform as soloists during the concerts of the Ukrainian Freedom Orchestra Olga the Deathless (soprano), Natalia Kukhar (mezzo-soprano), Valentyn Dytiuk (tenor) and Andrii Kymach (bass-baritone). Ukrainian singers will be accompanied by local choirs.
Viewers at each concert will be able to experience a moving version of the great work – “9th Symphony”. It will be presented with text “Odes to Joy” in Ukrainian, which is a kind of eloquent manifesto of freedom and resistance to aggression. Additionally, each performance of the tour will begin with a performance of the song “Bucza” Lacrimosawith which the musicians will commemorate the victims of the massacre in Bucza.
The Ukrainian Freedom Orchestra tour will start in mid-July and end in August. The orchestra will visit Poland, France, Great Britain and two cities in the United States. The performances will take place in prestigious concert halls. Here is the full list of concerts:
July 12 – Church of St. Eustace, Paris
July 14 – Grand Theater – National Opera, Warsaw
July 23 – Gdynia Shipyard
July 29 – St Paul’s Cathedral, London
August 1 – Cathedral of St. John the Divine, New York
August 4 – Kennedy Center, Washington.
Tickets for the event cost from 50 to 130 PLNdepending on the selected location.