CLEVELAND — Some of the city's — and country's — top musicians and performers with ties to Ukraine held a concert Friday at the Cleveland Museum of Art’s Gartner Auditorium to raise funds to support the embattled country.
The benefit concert was titled Sonyashnyk. That’s the Ukrainian word for “sunflower” and the country’s national flower, which has largely become a symbol of the population’s resistance against the unprovoked invasion by Russian forces over six weeks ago.
The event was slated to feature classical music from several Cleveland ensembles and artists, including members of the Cleveland Orchestra, Apollo’s Fire, the Cleveland Institute of Music, Piano Cleveland, which represents the Cleveland International Piano Competition, and Grammy-winning Emanuel Ax.
Hundreds turned out Friday night, with the proceeds being split among three organizations doing work on the ground in Ukraine. Some $60,000 has been raised so far.
"I feel like we are really making a difference, you know, even maybe in a small way, considering the huge tragedy that is unfolding,” said co-organizer Lorenzo Salvagni. “But it's definitely something and we are so grateful."
To learn more about the people behind this event and the charities it benefits, check out our preview of the concert from earlier this week.
