For Ukraine: A Concert of Remembrance and Hope

From the earliest days of Russia’s brutal war in Ukraine, the Met has been a stalwart champion of the Ukrainian people’s freedom and cultural heritage—raising funds for relief efforts, uplifting the voices of Ukrainian artists and composers, and helping to found the Ukrainian Freedom Orchestra in the summer of 2022. To mark the one-year anniversary of Russia’s invasion, Met Music Director Yannick Nézet-Séguin led the Met Orchestra and Chorus in a moving concert on February 24, 2023, to offer consolation and hope to the people of Ukraine and to champions of justice around the globe. Following the rousing National Anthem of Ukraine, the program included Mozart’s Requiem—featuring soloists Golda Schultz, Emily D’Angelo, Dmytro Popov, and Vladyslav Buialskyi—and Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony, which has served as a triumphant hymn of victory since World War II. The concert closed with Valentin Silvestrov’s a cappella “Prayer for Ukraine,” a moving tribute to all the lives unnecessarily lost in the violence.