Solidarity and benefit concert to help Ukrainians as war approaches first anniversary

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A solidarity and benefit concert will take place on 24 February in Amsterdam to mark the first year anniversary of the war in Ukraine. 

Musicians including violinist Rosanne Philippens, the Mischa Maisky Trio and percussionist Konstantyn Napolov will perform a varied programme by Ukrainian composers to a live audience of 450 people while being livestreamed across the world. Alongside the performances, the ambassador extraordinary and plenipotentiary of Ukraine to the Kingdom of the Netherlands, Maksym Kononenko and foreign affairs minister, Wopke Hoekstra will speak to the audience.

Proceeds from the concert will contribute to the Ukrainian fight for freedom and sustained solidarity for Ukrainian people. 75 per cent of the ticket revenue and donations will be transferred to the Medical and Humanitarian Aid programme of Ukraine’s official fundraising initiative, UNITED24 which supports defence and demining, medical aid and rebuilding Ukraine. 

According to the Ukraine Internal Displacement Report issued by the International Organization for Migration (IOM), 7.1 million people have been displaced since the start of the war. The Strad has been following the stories of the musicians caught up in the conflict since the war began. Ukrainian pianist Anna Fedorova is the co-founder of the Davidsbündler Music Academy in The Hague, one of the organisers of the event. Through her work, twelve young, talented Ukrainian musicians have been able to continue their music studies on full scholarships on the Stichting Davidsbündler Foundation.

’Dividing the proceeds between UNITED24 and the Stichting Davidsbündler Foundation will help Ukrainian people both in Ukraine and in the Netherlands, without any detours and in a completely transparent way,’ she said. ’I am very grateful that the University of New Europe, TRIDA Foundation AUV, and the University of Amsterdam have decided to donate part of the proceeds of this benefit concert to the Stichting Davidsbündler Foundation, which needs a lot more funds to ensure scholarships for more young and extremely talented Ukrainian musicians.’

Thanks to TRIDA Foundation, 100 per cent of the proceeds from the ticket sales will be transferred to UNITED24 and the Davidsbündler Music Academy. The Ukrainian musicians - many of whom regularly perform at benefit concerts and often for free - will be paid a performance fee by the TRIDA Foundation. 

’The necessity of organising benefit events with Ukrainian musicians lies not only in raising funds for humanitarian aid for Ukrainian citizens, but also in maintaining public focus on this inhumane war and not letting ”compassion fatigue” seize our minds,’ said the TRIDA Foundation in a statement.

’Through benefit concerts, we demonstrate that all of us can do something to help Ukraine. We sustain solidarity together. We fight our common enemy by standing together against injustice and helping those in need. And truly, every bit helps.’

On 24 Feburary 2022, Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine under Putin’s guise of ’demilitarising and de-Nazify Ukraine’. Since then the war is estimated to have killed over 200,000 soldiers on both sides and 40,000 civilians, with Russia accused of over 400 war crimes by President Zelensky including the air strikes that hit the theatre and hospital in Mariupol.

’Sadly, [the war has continued] for a longer period of time than any of us expected almost exactly one year ago,’ Fedorova continued. ’Apart from money, there are many other ways people can help them. We have great volunteers working with us! But we are having an increasingly hard time finding host families in or around The Hague for some of our students and their mothers.’

Two of the Academy’s students, nine-year-old Yulianna Beziazychna and twelve-year-old Pavlo Slipko will be performing at the concert. 

More information about the concert can be found here and tickets and donation here.