Oh, you, wretched singer, what are you hoping for? Musicians in support of Ukraine

Following the invasion of Ukraine by Russian troops, violinist Roman Mints was unable to play his violin for nearly a year. 

He says, "When the war started I left (Russia) within a week.  I had to take my family out of that place where everyone goes on 'business as usual;', while their soldiers are killing and torturing people in Ukraine.  The only way a musician can resist this kind of aggression is to celebrate the culture that is threatened, earn money and send it to the victims. And that is what my friends and I are doing at this concert."

Now Roman Mints along with Vadym Kholodenko (piano), Sasha Grynyuk (piano),  Alexandra Raikhilina (violin), Yuri Zhislin (viola) and Helena Švigej (cello) is presenting a programme of Ukrainian music in support of Ukraine at Duke’s Hall, Royal Academy of Music on Sunday 25 June. The proceeds from ticket sales will be donated to the Odesa Peace Fund, which provides food, medicine, clothing, and other necessary assistance to those affected by the war in Ukraine. 

The concert will feature the UK premiere of Artem Lyakhovich’s Postludes from War Notepad written in Uman during the early stage of the Russian invasion. Other music in the concert includes 25.10.1893 … in memoriam P.I.Tch by Valentin Silvestrov, one of the most prominent, living Ukrainian composers. After the war began Silvestrov became one of eight million refugees and now resides in Berlin. His three pieces are dedicated to the memory of Tchaikovsky. Also in the programme are preludes from Songs Of Bukovina by Leonid Desyatnikov. Deeply shaken by Russian aggression towards Ukraine in 2014, Desyatnikov wrote a cycle of preludes on Ukrainian themes titled Songs of Bukovina. The twenty third prelude of this cycle is based on the song Oh, Wretched Singer, What Are You Hoping For? which gave its name to this concert. After the full-scale invasion of Ukraine began in 2022, Desyatnikov left Russia. The final work in the programme is the Ukrainian Quintet by Boris Lyatoshinsky (1895-1968). Renowned as one of the founders of contemporary Ukrainian music, Lyatoshinsky taught all the famous Ukrainian composers of the late 20th century including Silvestrov, Stankovich and Grabovsky. His Ukrainian Quintet was composed during World War 2 and is based on Ukrainian folk themes.

Further details from EventBrite.