Ukraine orchestra's leader debuts at Met with Russian opera
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Loading... - Tanith Sallom
- 12 Oct 2022
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t's been quite a year for conductor Keri-Lynn Wilson, forming an orchestra from scratch, leading it on a 12-city tour, and then as soon as it disbanded going straight to the Metropolitan Opera to prepare for an opening-week debut.
Hers were the guiding hands that molded the Ukrainian Freedom Orchestra, an ensemble founded as a musical statement of defiance against Vladimir Putin's invasion of Ukraine.
Wilson, who traces her own Ukrainian ancestry to great-grandparents on her mother's side, recalled being in Europe when the assault began in February.
Three weeks later, “I was supposed to go to Odessa to conduct, and instead I met Peter in London,” she said. “And I was just constantly crying and saying we have to do something, and that's when the tour was born.” Peter is Peter Gelb, Wilson's husband and the Met's general manager. He contacted the head of the Polish National Opera, and together they arranged funding and tour dates for the new orchestra. Read More...
