“There has never been any doubt in my mind that we can’t hold literature or Russian culture hostage,” she said. But Wilson strongly opposes any suggestion that Russian composers are somehow tainted by Putin’s aggression. The tour hit 10 European cities plus New York and Washington, gathering glowing reviews with programs that included, in addition to the Dvořák, a symphony by Ukrainian composer Valentin Silvestrov, works by Brahms and Chopin, and two operatic arias sung by Ukrainian soprano Liudmyla Monastyrska.īecause of the orchestra’s unique political mission, no Russian music was included in those concerts. And by the fourth day, the Dvořák just rocked.” With only 10 days to rehearse together in Warsaw before launching the tour, Wilson recalled, “The first day was quite rough, and we just played Dvořák’s 'New World Symphony.' The second day, after seven hours I was astonished. They were maybe relocating, desperately trying to find homes, jobs in other countries.

“And a lot of them hadn’t been playing for months. “It was a select group, but really quite raw,” she said. Quickly, Wilson assembled a group of 75 Ukrainian musicians, some of them recent refugees, some members of European orchestras, and others still living in their embattled country.

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