On October 4, in Kyiv at the National Philharmonic of Ukraine, a concert of the National Ensemble of Soloists “Kyiv Camerata” was held for the first time under the direction of renowned American-Canadian conductor Keri-Lynn Wilson.
This year, the international festival “Kyiv Music Fest–2024,” which featured the concert, celebrates its 35th anniversary. With 13 concerts, 80 composers, and 51 premieres, it all attests to the fact that Ukraine has much to be proud of on the international music stage.
Minister of Culture and Strategic Communications Mykola Tochytskyi personally expressed his gratitude to Keri-Lynn Wilson for her support of Ukraine, promotion of our culture worldwide, and presented her with the Order of Princess Olha, Third Class.
“Thank you for supporting Ukraine during this difficult time, for bringing our music to a global audience, and for helping to spread our culture on the international stage. Your support means a lot to us. Art is a universal language that unites. It reflects today’s realities and conveys important ideas to the world. I am grateful to everyone who uses art to speak about Ukraine and calls on the world to stand with us in our struggle,” emphasized Mykola Tochytskyi.
The Ambassador of Canada to Ukraine, Natalka Cmoc, highlighted in her speech the unique power of music as a tool of diplomacy and activism. She noted that music has the ability to evoke genuine emotions and become part of critical discourse, which is especially important in times of war.
“Ms. Keri-Lynn uses her ‘weapon’ very well. She skillfully wields her American baton, and together with the orchestra, they convey a powerful message of resistance to the enemy. She draws attention to the reasons and morality of this war. She stands against the devastation that the enemies have inflicted over the past decades and against their crimes against Ukrainian culture,” emphasized Natalka Cmoc.
Conductor Keri-Lynn Wilson, in turn, expressed her pride in collaborating with Ukrainian musicians: “It is a great honor for me to receive this award. I have never been prouder to be Ukrainian. Since the beginning of the full-scale invasion, the conductor’s baton has been, and remains to be, my weapon. I am very proud to support you, together with my musicians from the Ukrainian Freedom Orchestra, and now also with ‘Kyiv Camerata.’ This is our first concert together, where I officially became the conductor of ‘Kyiv Camerata.’ Many concerts lie ahead for us in Kyiv, Kharkiv, Odesa, Chernivtsi, Ivano-Frankivsk, and abroad — this is how we will defend Ukraine on the cultural front and fight for our freedom. Glory to Ukraine!”
In addition, Mykola Tochytskyi presented two awards: the honorary title of “Honored Artist of Ukraine” to cellist Zoltan Almashi and the honorary title of “Honored Artist of Ukraine” to violist Kateryna Suprun.
That evening, the ensemble performed a program consisting of six works by contemporary Ukrainian composers. The concert began with Borys Liatoshynskyi’s Quartet No. 4. His memory was also honored with Volodymyr Zubytskyi’s Chamber Symphony No. 3.
The invited guests had the opportunity to hear three premiere pieces: a concerto for viola and orchestra by Oleksandr Rodin, a violin concerto, and the piece “To Ukraine – With Hope” by Dmytro Gordon, which was performed for the first time in Kyiv. The music of the young composer was a true revelation for the Ukrainian audience.
It is worth noting that on the occasion of Ukraine’s Independence Day, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy awarded state honors to citizens of Ukraine and foreign countries through his decrees №513/2024 and №576/2024, including the renowned conductor Keri-Lynn Wilson and artists from the National Philharmonic of Ukraine, who made significant contributions to the development of the cultural sphere.
