We call upon all culture and music events taking place on 24 February 2023, to hold a minute’s silence in solidarity with Ukraine and for all the victims of this terrible war.
Friday 24 February 2023 marks one year since the Russian invasion of Ukraine. The year that has passed has seen thousands of deaths and has instigated Europe’s largest refugee crisis since World War II. As the effects of the Russian invasion continue to be seen, the European Music Council remains united in solidarity with our Ukrainian colleagues and the Ukrainian people as they continue to stand up to the Russian invaders (read solidarity statement here).
Throughout times of crisis and uncertainty, music remains a constant and often acts as a means of providing hope and support to people. As the conflict in Ukraine persists, music, and art as a whole, is under threat.
With this in mind, and in light of the Five Music Rights, the European Music Council joins the initiative of the German Composers Association – the Solidarity Day of Action for Artists in Ukraine on 24 February 2023. We call upon all culture and music events taking place on 24 February 2023, to hold a minute’s silence in solidarity with Ukraine and for all the victims of this terrible war.
From the German Composers Association:
“A moving meeting of our NRW regional association on 8 November 2022 with the Ukrainian composer Nataliya Pavlyuk, who lives in Norway, and the conductor Roman Kreslenko, who was connected from Lviv, provided the impulse for this day of action. After reports on the oppressive living and working situation of the two artists, we want to use the action day to draw attention to the human aspects of the invasion. Here, music has a special role to play, as Ukrainian musicians continue to stage concerts under the most difficult circumstances and thereby give their people hope and support.”
