Vienna, Austria - On Nov. 23, 2014 during a time of extreme tension between Russia and the Ukraine, UPF-Austria hosted a concert with ballet performances entitled “A Musical Journey: Vienna–Lvov–Kiev-Moscow-St, Petersburg.”
“We want to demonstrate unity in the face of this deadly political crisis between our countries,” one of the dancers stated. All the artists are working in orchestras and opera houses around Vienna. Musicians born in St. Petersburg and Lvov, the ballet dancers (a Russian-Ukrainian couple), a singer from Donetsk and a children’s ballet organized by a woman from the Luhansk region were brought together by violinist Elena Rozanova. They performed songs and dances from Austria, Moldova, the Ukraine and Russia.
The children performed a Tyrolian and a Ukrainian dance as well as a dance from the Yakutsk region in the Russian Far East. The ballet dances included the beautiful “Winter Waltz” composed by Evgeniy Doga from Moldova and the “Flower Walz" by Peter I. Tchaikovsky. The beautiful voice of Soprano Olga Czerwinski delighted the audience with a popular song from Hungarian composer Emmerich Kalman’s operetta “The Gypsy Princess” as well as a potpourri of popular Ukrainian and Russian songs. Another highlight was a piece called “Russia Bear” which included a solo by the fagotto (bassoon) player. The musical program started with Austrian composer Johann Strauss and concluded with Russian composer Peter Tchaikovsky.
The performances got an enthusiastic response from the audience of more than 120 people. The event was sponsored by the cultural department of the City of Vienna.