Ode to Freedom

On the eve of the second anniversary of the Russian invasion on Ukraine, the prestigious Deutsche Grammophon label released a recording of a moving interpretation of Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9 performed by the Ukrainian Freedom Orchestra. The recording was made during the inaugural concert of the Orchestra’s tour in August 2023 at the Polish National Opera in Warsaw. The Ukrainian Freedom Orchestra is an ensemble of 74 leading Ukrainian instrumentalists and was established in direct response to Russian aggression in 2022 by the conductor Keri-Lynn Wilson. In the recording of Beethoven’s last symphony with its famous “Ode to Joy”, Wilson modified the original text from Friedrich Schiller’s poem, replacing the opening word “Freude” (German for joy) with “Freiheit” (German for freedom). All proceeds from the album’s sale will be donated to the Olena Zelenska Foundation.