The National Philharmonic in Warsaw has announced that their symphonic concerts on March 11 and 12 will be free of charge for refugees from Ukraine together with their Polish hosts.
The initiative has been put forward by the Philharmonic's artistic director, Andrzej Boreyko. As he wrote in a statement three days after the invasion: "My family roots are in Volhynia, so the tragedy of that land is also my own.
There are times when one needs to take a decisive stance and say words which will be both emphatic and unequivocal. Human life is the greatest value to me, and I therefore firmly condemn every war, including the one declared (...) by the Russian government on Ukraine."
The special concerts will start with the artists performing Ukraine's national anthem, followed by Edvard Grieg's Symphony in C minor, Krzysztof Penderecki's Piano Concerto, with soloist Barry Douglas, as well as a short composition titled "Hymn for String Orchestra" by contemporary Ukrainian composer Valentin Silvestrov.
Requests for tickets should be sent to the address ukraina@filharmonia.pl by 10 am on Thursday, March 10, giving the number of persons, their names, and the date (March 11 or 12).
On March 23 the National Philharmonic in Warsaw is scheduling a special charity concert in aid of the National Orchestra and Choir of Ukraine.
Source: IAR, filharmonia.pl