Conductor Keri-Lynn Wilson on supporting Ukraine: Instruments become weapons

The Ukrainian Freedom Orchestra, led by Canadian-Ukrainian conductor Keri-Lynn Wilson, recently performed in Paris. “For me, this is an opportunity to celebrate Ukraine with its rich culture and numerous talents, and to demonstrate a collective sense of a musical army, where instruments become weapons,” says Keri-Lynn Wilson.

The Orchestra performed Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony. “The German composer believed in the promises of the Enlightenment and the French Revolution long before his work became a symbol not only of German but also of European national identity. The Ukrainian Freedom Orchestra, composed of musicians who were forced to leave Ukraine due to the war or who have lived abroad for a long time, performs this work accompanied by songs of the Ukrainian choir,” reports Le Monde.

The Orchestra’s tour began just days after the Russians attacked Okhmatdyt, Ukraine’s largest children’s hospital, and a maternity hospital in Kyiv. The attack resulted in 27 deaths, including children. “The international community must support Ukraine more than ever,” stated Keri-Lynn Wilson.

Upcoming concerts, which aim to remind the world of Ukraine’s battle, are scheduled in Warsaw, London, New York, and Washington, D.C. The international tour began on July 12 and will continue until August 4.

The Ukrainian Freedom Orchestra was established in 2022 through the initiative of the Metropolitan Opera in New York and the Grand Theatre in Warsaw. It is composed of Ukrainian musicians who are members of European orchestras and instrumentalists who perform in Ukrainian ensembles. Conductor Wilson came up with the idea for the orchestra, feeling the need to assist Ukrainian artists and believing that music can be a powerful tool in the fight for peace and justice.