Met Opera is preparing a new concert for Ukraine

“To Ukraine: a concert of memory and hope” - an evening under this title will be held at the Metropolitan Opera on February 24, the anniversary of Russia’s military invasion of the neighboring independent country. On stage will be the renowned chorus and orchestra of the Metropolitan Opera and four magnificent soloists: Golda Schultz, Emily D'Angelo, as well as two Ukrainian singers - Dmitro Popov and Vladislav Buyalsky. Under the baton of Met Chief Conductor Yannick Négé-Segan, Mozart's Requiem and Beethoven's Fifth Symphony will be performed, two great works about memory, loss, eternal life and victory over darkness. During the Second World War, the opening chords of Beethoven's Fifth Symphony were regularly heard on BBC broadcasts and became a symbol of the victory of the Allied forces over fascism. 

All tickets - $50 each - will go on sale at the box office and online (www.metopera.org) at noon on February 1st. The entire proceeds, as in the first charity concert (the Met held it in March 2022, also with the participation of its orchestra and choir and under the direction of Nezhe-Segan), will go to support Ukraine, but buyers are asked to contribute additional funds if possible. Those who want to do this should go to the website of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine (www.war.ukraine.ua/support-ukraine/), where you can learn about different ways to help.

The concert is being prepared in collaboration with Lincoln Center and the Permanent Mission of Ukraine to the UN. As the Permanent Representative of Ukraine to the UN, Serhiy Kislitsa, said, “This is a concert in honor of Ukrainian firmness, resistance and hope. The Metropolitan Opera was one of the first to show solidarity with Ukraine, its people, culture and artists, and it continued to do so throughout the year of this tragic war (...) All wars end, but we will always remember who was with us from the very first, most difficult moments.” Let us remember that it was the Metropolitan Opera that initiated and was one of the main sponsors of the creation of the Ukrainian Freedom Orchestra and its international summer tour. 

The upcoming concert on February 24 will begin with the Ukrainian national anthem and end with “Prayer for Ukraine” by Valentin Silvestrov. Starts at 7 pm. The program will be broadcast on radio throughout the world. Additional support for the evening was provided by leading Met donors, notably Anne Ziff, Chair of the Met's Board of Trustees. 

Author: Maya Pritzker