CelloBello Examines Life of Classical Musicians in Ukraine in Conversation on Anniversary of Full-Scale Invasion

CelloBello, the world’s leading resource on all things cello, will host a conversation that sheds light on the lives of classical musicians in Ukraine since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion.

The YouTube event is scheduled for noon EST on Friday, February 24, 2023, exactly one year after the start of the full-scale attack. The direct link to this video on CelloBello’s YouTube channel can be found here:

Conversation with Kyiv Contemporary Music Days (KCMD) Team Members

CelloBello leaders Paul Katz (Founder & Artistic Director) and Robert Rund (Executive Director)
will be joined by members of Kyiv Contemporary Music Days (KCMD), an organization that has pivoted its work since the start of the war to focus on cultural diplomacy, awareness of Ukrainian music, the plight of classical musicians in Ukraine throughout the war, and raising funds to support basic needs of classical musicians now living in Ukraine.

In looking ahead to this conversation with CelloBello, Les Vynogradov of KCMD stated that “we feel it is important to share first-hand experiences of Ukrainian musicians going through a war in a way that inspires solidarity rather than pity. We wish to convey the human side of this last year from the perspective of professional musicians who are in so many ways alike to their colleagues in the US but who faced a reality of a brutal invasion they couldn’t have expected. We would also like to remind the international community that the war is far from over and people living and working in Ukraine risk their lives every day.”

“The conversation on February 24 with our friends in Ukraine is a continuation of the important dialogue we began last year,” said Robert Rund, Executive Director of CelloBello, referring to a similar conversation with KCMD live streamed on August 24, 2022. (The video of that event can be found here) “It is important to remember that while our collective attention may be drawn to other news around the globe, this is very much an ongoing fight for Ukrainian people, and we continue to condemn this act of aggression on Ukraine,” Rund added.

“At CelloBello, our particular lens is focused on creating a global community of musicians, and it is both heartbreaking to consider what our Ukrainian colleagues have endured and at the same time inspiring to witness their solidarity and resilience. Our friends at Kyiv Contemporary Music Days have focused their energies on meaningful and positive actions,” said Paul Katz, Founder and Artistic Director of CelloBello.

Music Video
In addition to the upcoming conversation on February 24, CelloBello will re-release the music video it first published on Independence Day in Ukraine last year. The music video, originally released on August 24, 2022 (the six-month anniversary of the full-scale invasion), gathered cellists from around the world in a musical tribute dedicated to those who have fought and sacrificed for freedom in Ukraine. The video features renowned cellists Mike Block (USA), Paul Katz (USA), Zlatomir Fung (USA), Elena Korableva (Russia/USA), Petro Sokach (Ukraine/Norway) and Glib Sasko (Ukraine) in a music video of a newly-commissioned arrangement by Mike Block that contains a Ukrainian folk song and the State of Ukraine Anthem. View the video below:

Ukrainian cellist Petro Sokach, now living in Norway and helping Ukrainian refugees there, was drawn to this project as it was an opportunity to send a message to people around the world, especially Ukrainians. “We, as Ukrainians not living in Ukraine, always feel guilty about not being there. No matter how much we do, it never feels like enough. This was an opportunity to participate in something I know will touch Ukrainians, and hopefully many others,” Sokach said.

CelloBello is a music education platform dedicated to leveling the playing field in classical music, nurturing and strengthening the individual cellist and the global cello community through free online instruction and advice from renowned cellists and teachers. CelloBello envisions a world where all cellists, regardless of location, race, socio-economic status or ability level, will have access to the highest level of musical instruction, inspiration and interaction.

For more information, visit www.cellobello.org, or reach out by email to events@cellobello.org. CelloBello’s music video and conversations with KCMD will encourage viewers to donate to KCMD’s Ukrainian Classical Musicians Support Fund.