Last Saturday evening St. Nicholas Ukrainian Catholic Cathedral in Chicago was filled with musicians, dignitaries, press and a full house of patrons to hear glorious music performed to benefit Ukraine. The Chicago Lyric Opera Orchestra was honored to join with our wonderful colleagues from the Lyric Opera Stage Artists in addition to Ukrainian musicians and chorus members from the community. The resulting concert was heartwarming, moving and tremendously successful.
Chief organizer for the orchestra, Chicago Lyric Opera Principal Bassoon Preman Tilson, tells us that the concert raised an impressive $48,116. Around half of the sum will be devoted to the needs of refugee children who have fled Ukraine since the start of the conflict and are attending St. Nicholas Cathedral School. The rest will be wired to the Ukrainian Medical Association of North America (UMANA) to provide medical supplies for Ukraine.
photo credits: Peter Koutun