The label writes on its website that the recording of “the emotionally charged Warsaw performance of Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony captures one of the artistic highlights of 2023.”
The CD features the Ukrainian Freedom Orchestra conducted by its founder, Ukrainian-born Keri-Lynn Wilson, accompanied by the Choir of the Podlasie Opera and Philharmonic in Białystok, northeastern Poland, and Ukrainian soloists Olga Kulchynska (soprano), Nicole Chirka (mezzo-soprano), Dmytro Popov (tenor), and Vladyslav Buialskyi (bass-baritone).
The Ukrainian Freedom Orchestra was formed in 2022 as a result of a joint initiative by the Ukrainian Ministry of Culture, the New York Metropolitan Opera and the Polish National Opera in Warsaw.
The orchestra's establishment was a direct response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and a bold initiative to defend Ukraine’s cultural legacy as the country fights for its freedom in the face of violence and aggression.
The Ukrainian Freedom Orchestra is due to go on another tour of Europe and the United States this summer.
Wilson has told the media: “As Ukraine continues its fight on behalf of the free world, it needs our support now more than ever. I’m proud to join the brave musicians of the Orchestra once again as we defend Ukraine’s cultural legacy. You cannot erase or silence a culture. We will not rest until the war is won.”
(mk/gs)