CelloBello to Examine the Life of Classical Musicians in Ukraine

Members of Kyiv Contemporary Music Days (KCMD) will join CelloBello leaders Paul Katz, Founder & Artistic Director, and Robert Rund, Executive Director, in conversation exactly one year after the start of the full-scale attack.

Kyiv Contemporary Music Days is an organization that since the start of the war, has pivoted its work 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.

Tune into the below at 12 PM on Friday, February 24, 2023, to watch the full conversation:

"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," Les Vynogradov of KCMD said. "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 upcoming video will continue the following conversation, originally released in August 2022:

“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," said Robert Rund.

“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.