Musicians And Artists Band Together For Ukraine

Over the past week a number of famous jazz, rock and classical musicians, as well as some world-class cultural institutions, held concerts to raise funds to benefit Ukraine.

The New School brought together world-class jazz performers and avant-garde musicians on March 11, featuring renowned artists such as composer Philip Glass, Laurie Anderson, John Zorn and others.

The concert at The New School, a liberal arts educational institution in New York City, began with a string arrangement of the Ukrainian Anthem.

“Musicians want to help,” said John Zorn, a legendary American composer and saxophonist. “It’s a privilege to do so through a concert like this.”

Together with avant-garde artist, Laurie Anderson, Zorn played a musical piece dedicated to Ukraine’s president, Volodymyr Zelensky. Anderson spoke about Zelensky’s unique, humane attitude and his understanding that his country needs him more than ever during this horrific war.

Ukraine, a democratic country of 40 million people, was invaded, unprovoked, by Russia on February 24 and since then has been battling its much larger neighbor to a near standstill, defending its lands, sovereignty and way of life. Since the conflict began, about a thousand civilians have been killed by Russian forces – an estimated 109 of them children – and an estimated 1,300 people have been injured.

Several major cities have been continuously shelled over the past several weeks. Kharkiv, in the East Ukraine, has suffered horrible destruction by Russian bombs and missiles. The southern coastal city of Mariupol has been blockaded and under siege, without electricity or water. The nation’s capital, Kyiv, and other cities and towns are under constant military attacks.

The war has sparked a humanitarian crisis: about three million Ukrainians have fled from the fighting across the western border to neighboring Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Czech Republic and Hungary. Russian forces are killing civilians and deliberately attacking residential areas and hospitals, including a maternity ward in Mariupol. The world has watched in horror and many people, organizations and institutions have been spurred to look for ways to help.

“This event will go down in the history of this institution,” said Richard Kessler, the executive dean for The New School’s College of Performing Arts and the dean of Mannes School. “Because at this event, these artists and all of you are coming together to do something for the people of Ukraine.”

The benefit – the first in-person event of such scale at the College of Performing Arts at the New School since the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic – raised roughly $40,000. The money will go to help Ukrainian people during this unprecedented humanitarian crisis.

“Like much of the world, all us players feel how crucial this moment is, and everybody played from that urgent place,” said Dave Douglass, an American jazz trumpeter, composer, and educator.

“We all wish music had the power to stop a war,” said another participant, Sofia Rei, an Argentinian vocalist and songwriter. “It definitely has the power of bringing us together and uplift our collective spirits. It felt beautiful to do something meaningful; to create a positive contribution towards people in desperate need during these challenging times.”

Other notable performers raising funds to help Ukraine include Eugene Hutz and his band Gogol Bordello. Born and raised in Ukraine, Hutz brought together artists like Patti Smith, Susan Vega and others at the City Winery on March 10. Patti Smith and Hutz performed the Ukrainian anthem together.

Gogol Bordello embarked on the Solidaritine Tour across America, which, according to the band’s statement, “will be dedicated to the brave Ukrainian defenders, with a significant portion of proceeds going to Ukraine’s battle for democracy,” while providing relief to Ukraine through human rights organization during the tour.

The Metropolitan Opera draped large Ukrainian flags across its façade, where it held a special benefit concert to aid Ukraine on March 14.

Ukrainians, fighting in this devastating war for over three weeks now, continue to impress the world with their spirit. While it is unclear for how much longer the war will drag on, and how devastating Russia’s attacks will be; in many respects, Ukraine has already won.