Just Peace Music Night: Kyiv Symphony Orchestra Benefit Concert

• Date: 25 February
• label.tijd 19:30 - 21:00
• Location: Kloosterkerk Den Haag

On February 25th, The Hague Humanity Hub, together with the Heritage of the Future Foundation, presents a symbolic JUST PEACE concert with the Kyiv Symphony Orchestra, marking the third anniversary of Russia’s war against Ukraine. Under the baton of the world star conductor, Oksana Lyniv, the program features works that reflect the horrors of war while offering hope for the victory of justice and humanity.

25/02 19:30 Kloosterkerk Den Haag

Lange Voorhout 4

Free entrance, please register using the link

Donations (cash only) are welcome on the night of the event.

“The tragedy of war is that it does not single out individual heroes but, like a natural disaster, devastates everything—every family. It affects soldiers, men, brothers, women, infants, artists, and poets who will never create new works again, as well as the youth whose future has been stolen. Through this concert program, we seek to share these harrowing stories and honor the countless victims who lost their lives due to the Russian invasion. War is the antithesis of humanity. That is why we must unite our efforts with all international partners to achieve a just peace for a democratic and sovereign Ukraine.” – Oksana Lyniv

Ukrainian composer Evgeni Orkin’s Five Interrupted Lullabies tells the tragic story of five infants who perished in a missile strike on Odesa in March 2024.

Victoria Poleva’s Bucha. Lacrimosa for violin and orchestra captures the unspeakable horrors and war crimes committed in Bucha, near Kyiv, in 2022. Yuri Laniuk’s Grieving Thorn for soprano and orchestra presents the inner monologue of a thornbush that foresees its branches becoming the crown of thorns for Jesus. All Ukrainian compositions will receive their Dutch premieres during this concert.

Complementing these contemporary pieces are classical works that inspire hope for the triumph of light: Mozart’s Ave verum corpus, a serene meditation on grace and redemption, and Beethoven’s Egmont Overture, a powerful testament to the struggle against political oppression and the ultimate victory of freedom and self-determination.

Kyiv Symphony Orchestra

Andrii Murza, violin

Olha Diadiv, soprano

Oksana Lyniv, conductor

Programme:
1. Evgeni Orkin – "5 Interrupted Lullabies" (15 min)
- A symphonic portrayal of the night in March 2024 in Odesa, when a missile attack on a residential area claimed the lives of four children and a baby. Premiered in Denmark in 2024.

2. Viktoria Poleva – "Butscha Lacrimosa" for violin and orchestra (15 min)
- Reflecting on the Bucha massacre near Kyiv (Feb–Apr 2022). Premiered at Beethovenfest, Bonn, in 2022.

3. Yuri Laniuk – "Grieving Thorn" for soprano and orchestra (20 min) - The lament of the thornbush destined to become Christ’s crown of thorns. Set to texts by Ukrainian poet Bohdan-Ihor Antonych, written in 1991, its timeless message resonates strongly in times of war.

4. W.A. Mozart – Ave Verum (5 min)

5. L. van Beethoven – Egmont Overture (9 min)

Soloists:
- Andrii Murza, violin: Renowned Ukrainian violinist, soloist, educator, and member of the Düsseldorf Symphony Orchestra.
- Andrii Bondarenko, baritone: Acclaimed by the Financial Times, enjoys a global career with key roles at Volksoper Wien and debuts at Teatro dell’Opera di Roma and Bergen Philharmonic in 24/25.
- Olha Diadiv, soprano: Celebrated Ukrainian soprano, soloist with Bologna, Trieste, and Klagenfurt Theatres, and a debut performer at the Rossini Opera Festival.

Conductor:
Oksana Lyniv: Former assistant to Kirill Petrenko at the Bavarian State Opera, Lyniv was the first woman to conduct at the Bayreuth Festival. She has led major orchestras, was Chief Conductor of Graz Opera (2017–2020), and became the first female Music Director of an Italian opera house in Bologna in 2022. In 2024, she debuted at the Met in New York.

Kyiv Symphony Orchestra:
Founded in 1979, the KSO is one of Ukraine’s leading cultural institutions, dedicated to preserving Ukrainian musical heritage and representing it globally. The orchestra has performed at prestigious venues like the Berliner Philharmonie, Elbphilharmonie, Gewandhaus Leipzig, and NATO's Madrid Summit. In 2022, KSO won the Musical Contest Prize of the Fondation Prince Pierre of Monaco for its contemporary music interpretations.

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