Met musicians raise $17,000 for Kyiv

Message from Met orchestra musicians:

We are happy to announce that we have donated $17,000 directly to the orchestra musicians of the National Opera House of Ukraine. Donations from the Met Orchestra, The Metropolitan Opera’s music staff, and a significant donation from our Music Director Yannick Nezet-Seguin were raised with the hope that it demonstrates our solidarity with all musicians in Ukraine who are in this impossible crisis.
The idea for this fundraising effort came about during rehearsals for the Concert for Ukraine, a March 14th benefit concert produced by the Metropolitan Opera and conducted by Music Director Yannick Nézet-Séguin. At the coffee break following an emotional rehearsal of the finale of Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony, the “Ode to Joy,” it became clear that we, the Met Orchestra, were deeply inspired to produce a gesture of solidarity and support for our Kyiv counterparts.
With the help of a Met Orchestra Associate clarinetist who grew up in Ukraine, contact was established with the Head of Personnel at the National Opera of Ukraine, which allowed us to send direct aid to our fellow opera orchestra musicians.
Acknowledging receipt of the wire-transferred funds, a National Opera representative made the following statement:
“The artists of the National Opera of Ukraine are deeply touched by the sense of fraternal solidarity exhibited by the musicians of the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra. Your sincere moral and financial support in the face of Russian aggression in Ukraine is eloquent confirmation that you, just like us, condemn the barbaric actions against Ukraine. We are equally confident that the unity of the masters of art will be an important component of our victory!”
It is the hope of the musicians of the Met Orchestra that this donation will inspire other orchestras and musical institutions around the world to take up this vital fundraising initiative themselves and collect donations to distribute to Ukrainian musicians, orchestras, and musical institutions.
Please contact us at METOrchestraCommunications@gmail.com for more information.
#Ukraine #MetOrchestra #METOrchestraMusicians #solidarity #classicalmusic #opera #operahouse #musician #kyiv