On the day its home country marks the first anniversary of an ongoing armed invasion, the Lviv National Philharmonic Orchestra of Ukraine will headline a celebration of Ukrainian culture at the Center for the Performing Arts.
Remarkably, the Feb. 24 date at the Palladium is coincidental. The Center booked the performance in 2021, months before Vladimir Putin announced a “special military operation” in February 2022.
Still, the date carries special significance. The audience will include representatives of the Consulate General of Ukraine in Chicago. Two local nonprofit groups, Indiana Supports Ukraine and the Ukrainian Society of Indiana, will have lobby tables to share information about their work in celebrating Ukrainian culture and shipping supplies to people living through a winter of war. Since December, the Center has kept collection bins in the Palladium lobbies to assist in ISU’s winter sock drive.
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For the occasion, the Center staff has created a specialty cocktail in Ukraine’s national colors, blue and yellow. The “Stand with Ukraine” is made with Stoli vodka (produced in Latvia from Slovakian grains), blue Curacao liqueur, sweet and sour mix, and a lemon slice.
“European orchestras are a staple of our classical programming every season, but this event clearly stands out,” Center President/CEO Jeffrey C. McDermott said. “We’re pleased to have this opportunity to partner with the local Ukrainian-American community and support their efforts.”
The Lviv National Philharmonic Orchestra of Ukraine was founded in 1902 and is currently led by the esteemed Ukrainian-American conductor Theodore Kuchar, best known for his prolific recording career with various orchestras. The Feb. 24 program at the Palladium will feature music of Brahms, Grieg and Dvořák (his New World Symphony) with piano soloist Oksana Rapita.
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Tickets start at $25, with student tickets at $15 and discounts offered for military personnel and first responders. Tickets are available at the Palladium’s Fifth Third Bank Box Office, online at TheCenterPresents.org and by phone at (317) 843-3800.
The event is part of the Center’s Printing Partners Classical Series and the 2022-2023 Center Presents Season, presented in partnership with Allied Solutions.