"Bucha. Licorice" by Victoria Poliova and Beethoven's 9th Symphony with "Ode to Joy" in Ukrainian performed by the Ukrainian Freedom Orchestra at the Kennedy Center, Washington, DC.
It was the final concert of the Ukrainian musicians, conducted by world-renowned Canadian-Ukrainian conductor Carrie-Lynn Wilson, as part of their third tour of Europe and the United States in support of Ukraine.
"We need all the help we can get to win this war as soon as possible. Ukrainians have an extraordinary strength of spirit and boundless love for their homeland, as evidenced by the success of our military, athletes, artists and all those working for victory", said Ambassador of Ukraine to the United States Oksana Markarova in her remarks at the event.
The concert opened with a composition by Ukrainian composer Victoria Polyova called Bucha.Lacrimosa. And on the 200th anniversary of Beethoven's Ninth Symphony, the orchestra presented the highlight of the evening, the anthem of Europe "Ode to Joy" in Ukrainian, symbolizing the commonality of our struggle for freedom and the unity of the world in defense of our shared values.
Carrie-Lynn Wilson is the initiator of the Ukrainian Freedom Orchestra, a collective orchestra of musicians from various Ukrainian philharmonic orchestras who found themselves abroad as a result of the Russian invasion. They have come together to remind us of Ukraine and to rally support for it through their own musical front.