It was an honor for us to welcome Their Majesties King Carl XVI Gustaf and Queen Silvia of Sweden to the event. This is an important sign of solidarity and support for Ukrainian culture.
Among the guests were also members of the Swedish Parliament, as well as representatives of cultural and diplomatic circles.
When a Swedish-Ukrainian orchestra performs works by Ukrainian composers on stage and among them - Myroslav Skoryk’s variations on a Swedish folk song - it is about collaboration. It is about a shared cultural experience that we are creating together right now.
Ukrainian art, which for years lived in the shadow of imperial narratives and attempts of appropriation, once again sounds where it belongs - on European stages, in a vibrant cultural space.
We are sincerely grateful to the musicians of the Orchestra Academy of the Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra and the Lviv National Philharmonic, under the baton of Ukrainian conductor Roman Reznik and the evening’s soloist, Ukrainian-Swedish pianist Nataliia Pasichnyk, for this artistic experience.
The hall could not accommodate everyone who wished to attend, but many more events lie ahead - the festival will continue until April 24. We thank the organizers, the Ukrainian Institute in Sweden, and all partners who support the festival.