Concert Against the War in Ukraine | Oksana Lyniv and the Kyiv Symphony Orchestra

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Sounds of grief, sounds of hope. February 24, 2025, marked the third anniversary of the Russian attack on Ukraine. Over the past three years, the war has brought destruction, violence and fear to the country. Thousands have been killed or injured. On the anniversary of the outbreak of war, the Kyiv Symphony Orchestra presented a concert program that musically reflects recent events. The conductor was the Ukrainian Oksana Lyniv, who had just been appointed Principal Guest Conductor of the orchestra. The concert took place in the Aula am Berliner Ring in Monheim.

00:00 EVGENI ORKIN (*1977): Five Interrupted Lullabies (2024)
14:04 YURI LANIUK (*1957): "Grieving Thorn" for soprano and chamber orchestra (1991)
33:51 VICTORIA POLEVA (*1962): "Bucha. Lacrimosa" for violin and chamber orchestra (2022)
43:56 EVGENI ORKIN (*1977): "Requiem for a Poet" for baritone and orchestra (2024)
1:07:58 LUDWIG VAN BEETHOVEN (1770-1827): Overture to “Egmont”, Op. 84

KYIV SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA
OKSANA LYNIV | Conductor
OLHA DYADIV | Soprano
ANDRII MURZA | Violin
ANDRII BONDARENKO | Baritone

The concert opens with a symphonic work commissioned by Oksana Lyniv, which evokes a harrowing night in Odessa in March 2024, when a rocket attack claimed the lives of four infants and a baby. In “Five Interrupted Lullabies”, Ukrainian composer Evgeni Orkin reflects on the unimaginable grief that war brings.

“Grieving Thorn” is the imaginary soliloquy of a thorn bush, which knows that its branches are to be placed on the head of the suffering Jesus as a crown of thorns. In his composition from 1991, Yuri Laniuks (*1957) focuses on the deeply felt grief of the thorn bush. The thorn bush is a symbol of human suffering, but also of people's willingness to make sacrifices. The lyrics come from the Ukrainian poet Bohdan Ihor Antonych (1909-1937).

In her piece “Bucha. Lacrimosa” for violin and orchestra, Viktoria Poleva (*1962) musically gives expression to the boundless atrocities and war crimes that took place in the town of Bucha, near Kyiv, in spring 2022. Ukrainian investigators say more than 400 bodies were found showing signs of torture and violent death after Russian forces retreated from the area.

“Requiem for a Poet” is another piece composed by Evgeni Orkin. It deals with the last hours of soldier and writer Maxim Krivtsov, who was killed in an attack at the front on the day his first book was published in January 2023.

The concert concludes with Ludwig van Beethoven's overture to Goethe's tragedy “Egmont”, an expression of hope for an early end to the war. The overture stands symbolically for the idea that the violence of political oppression will be overcome by the ideas of freedom and self-determination. The overture culminates in a joyous celebration of victory over tyranny.

Oksana Lyniv, born in 1978 in the Ukrainian city of Brody, is one of the world's leading conductors of our time. She has worked with many famous orchestras, including the Staatskapelle Berlin, the Vienna Philharmonic and the Toronto Symphony Orchestra. In 2021, she was the first woman to conduct at the Bayreuth Festival. Oksana Lyniv has been Music Director in Bologna since 2022 - the first woman to head an Italian opera house. Oksana Lyniv is enthusiastic about promoting classical music internationally and in Ukraine. She is a co-founder of the International Festival of Classical Music LvivMozArt in Lviv, Ukraine. In 2016, she founded the Youth Symphony Orchestra of Ukraine (YSOU) and serves as its principal conductor. The orchestra frequently performs on prestigious international stages. During the Russian war against Ukraine, Lyniv views herself as a cultural ambassador for her country.

Founded in 1979, the Kyiv Symphony Orchestra (KSO) has emerged as one of the leading cultural forces in Ukraine. Renowned for its dedication to preserving and promoting Ukrainian musical heritage, the KSO also plays a vital role in representing Ukrainian culture on the international stage. At the beginning of the war, in April 2022, the orchestra toured Poland and Germany, but did not return to its home country as its concert hall there was being used for other purposes connected to the war effort. The orchestra remained in Germany and was granted a new home in Gera. Since August 2024, the Kyiv Symphony Orchestra is in residence in Monheim am Rhein, Germany, as part of the Monheimer Kulturwerke GmbH. The repertoire of the KSO spans from the 16th century to the younger generation of today's composers. For the quality of their interpretations of contemporary music, in 2022, the KSO was awarded the prestigious Musical Contest Prize of the Fondation Prince Pierre of Monaco.

© 2025 DEUTSCHE WELLE

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