On the 24th of February 2022, Russia started a full-fledged invasion of Ukraine, causing death and
suffering to millions of Ukrainian citizens. With a Benefit Concert on the 24th of February 2023 – featuring
several Ukrainian musicians, including singer Maryana Golovchenko, percussionist Konstantyn Napolov,
and young students from the Davidsbündler Music Academy – we contribute to the Ukrainian fight for
freedom and sustained solidarity for Ukrainian people. The evening is organized by the University of
Amsterdam, the Davidsbündler Music Academy and the University of New Europe, with the support of
TRIDA Foundation, Alumni Association AUV and the Ukrainian Embassy of the Netherlands.
About the Evening
The concert will take place in the 17th-century Lutherse Kerk in Amsterdam. 450 people will attend live, and
the event will also be available for audiences around the world who can watch and listen through a
livestream. Internationally renowned musicians, including the Ukrainian singer Maryana Golovchenko,
percussionist Konstantyn Napolov, violinist Rosanne Philippens and the Mischa Maisky Trio, will play works
by Ukrainian composers in a varied program that shows the richness of Ukraine’s musical traditions. The
evening will be opened by the Mayor of Amsterdam, Femke Halsema, and presented by Jet Berkhout (NPO
Klassiek). The Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Ukraine to the Kingdom of the Netherlands
Maksym Kononenko and Foreign Affairs Minister Wopke Hoekstra will also speak.
Tickets & Proceeds
By purchasing a ticket for this concert, you support Ukrainian people in Ukraine and the Netherlands. The
majority of the proceeds (75%) of the ticket revenue & donations will be transferred to the Medical and
Humanitarian Aid programme of Ukraine’s official fundraising initiative, UNITED24, to purchase food,
medication, and essential needs that will be sent to Ukraine. The remaining 25% will be used to grant
scholarships to talented Ukrainian children who have had to flee their country together with their mothers
and are now continuing their music education at the Davidsbündler Music Academy in The Hague. Several
young talented Ukrainian musicians will perform at the benefit concert.
The aim of the evening is to raise substantial funds to support Ukrainian citizens in Ukraine and in the
Netherlands. With this aim in mind, it is also possible to donate additional amounts on the ticket page,
regardless of whether or not tickets are purchased. Admission is free for Ukrainian refugees, who can reserve
a seat by purchasing a ticket for € 0,00. Tickets to the Concert in Amsterdam as well as the Online
Livestream are available here.
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/tickets-solidarity-benefit-concert-for-ukraine-522528515857
University of Amsterdam & University of New Europe
As the University of Amsterdam’s Professor of Slavic Literatures and co-founder of the University of New
Europe, Ellen Rutten feels a responsibility in shifting public focus to Ukraine in these difficult times. Ellen
Rutten: “It is important that scholars and artists draw our attention to Ukrainian music, art, and literature in
public debates about the Russian war against Ukraine. Ukrainian cultural practices have long been ignored or
misframed as Russian. This concert is meant to offer people comfort on a sad day – but also to restore balances,
by highlighting Ukraine’s important role in European cultural history.”
Davidsbündler Music Academy
Ukrainian pianist Anna Fedorova is the co-founder of the Davidsbündler Music Academy in The Hague, where
12 young and very talented Ukrainian musicians are now able to continue their music studies on full
scholarships.
Anna Fedorova: “Dividing the proceeds between UNITED24 and the Stichting Davidsbündler Foundation will help
Ukrainian people both in Ukraine and in the Netherlands, without any detours and in a completely transparent way. I
am very grateful that the University of New Europe, TRIDA Foundation AUV, and the University of Amsterdam have
decided to donate part of the proceeds of this benefit concert to the Stichting Davidsbündler Foundation, which needs a
lot more funds to ensure scholarships for more young and extremely talented Ukrainian musicians. And sadly, also for
a longer period of time than any of us expected almost exactly one year ago. Apart from money, there are many other
ways people can help them. We have great volunteers working with us! But we are having an increasingly hard time
finding host families in or around The Hague for some of our students and their mothers. Anyone who offers to be
considered for homestays in the area, please get in touch.”
TRIDA Foundation
Thanks to TRIDA Foundation, 100% of the proceeds from the ticket sales will be transferred to UNITED24 and
the Davidsbündler Music Academy. The Ukrainian musicians – many of whom regularly perform at benefit
concerts and often for free – will be paid a performance fee by the TRIDA Foundation.
For the TRIDA Foundation, this support is important for at least two reasons. “The necessity of organizing benefit
events with Ukrainian musicians lies not only in raising funds for humanitarian aid for Ukrainian citizens, but also
in maintaining public focus on this inhumane war and not letting ‘compassion fatigue’ seize our minds. Through
benefit concerts, we demonstrate that all of us can do something to help Ukraine. We sustain solidarity together.
We fight our common enemy by standing together against injustice and helping those in need. And truly, every bit
helps.”
Performing musicians include
Young Ukrainian students of the Davidsbündler Music Academy
Yulianna Beziazychna (9 years old)
Pavlo Slipko (12 years old)
SonCe Trio:
Maryana Golovchenko, voice
Pau Sola Masafrets, cello
Cengiz Arslanpay, traditional flutes, duduk, modular synthesizer
Anna Nebaba, piano
Konstantyn Napolov, percussion
Rosanne Philippens, violin
Mischa Maisky Trio:
Mischa Maisky, cello
Lily Maisky, piano
Sascha Maisky, violin
Tetiana Abaieva, piano (professor at the Davidsbündler Music Academy)
Borys Fedorov, piano (professor at the Davidsbündler Music Academy)
Practical information
The concert will take place at the Aula – Lutherse Kerk, Singel 411, 1012 WN Amsterdam, The Netherlands on
February 24, 2023. The live concert and the livestream start at 20:00 local time (doors open at 19:15).
More information about the concert can be found on: www.uva.nl/benefit-concert
Tickets and donations: www.eventbrite.com/e/tickets-solidarity-benefit-concert-for-ukraine-522528515857