KharkivMusicFest in 2022: Concert Between Explosions
The Russian military invasion and the siege changed the program of the KharkivMusicFest in 2022 but did not cancel the festival.
Marie de la MontagneAfter the sieges of the World War II, Sarajevo, Europe has another horrible siege. The Russian invading forces have surrounded Kharkiv, Ukraine’s second largest city, the home in peacetime of 1.4 million people. In the city, KharkivMusicFest planned to present the 5th music festival. Concerts were to take place with the participation of a world-famous classical musicians who had had never given a concert in Ukraine before. The Russian military invasion changed the program but did not cancel the festival.
The KharkivMusicFest in 2022 takes place on the metro station Historical Museum, currently a shelter from bombs for many Ukrainian children, women, and elderly. The opening event, “Concert between explosions”, has been performed by the ensemble of Olga Pyshchyta (violin), Stanislav Kucherenko (violin), Tetyana Zhuk (viola), Denis Karachevtsev (cello) and Serhiy Dikarev (double bass) performed masterpieces of classical music by Bach, Schubert, Dvorak and Skoryk together with arrangements of Ukrainian folk songs specially created for this concert by a young Kharkiv composer and conductor Volodymyr Bohatyrev.
“In spite of the difficult times for our city, under the explosions and the roar of cannonade, KharkivMusicFest remains with the people of Kharkiv. The war has been going on for a month and all possible words of support for Kharkiv residents have been said many times. But the language of music is multifaceted, it will surely find its way to the heart of each of us— to support, motivate, inspire or soothe. And the main thing is that in spite of everything in the destroyed by bombs and shells, but unconquered Kharkiv, classical music will still be heard, “ says Maria Gorbonos, executive director of the festival.
The festival will continue with 5 more underground concerts planned till 17 April 2022.
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