The Lviv National Opera hosted the concert “Evening of Freedom” featuring renowned Latvian pianist Andrejs Osokins, a steadfast supporter of Ukraine. The event took place on 12 August as part of the 4th International Chamber Music Festival “Mirror”.
The programme included works by European and Latvian composers, as well as Ukrainian music. The maestro performed pieces by Robert Schumann, Ludwig van Beethoven, Valentyn Sylvestrov and Frédéric Chopin. Before each piece, the pianist shared with the audience the story of its creation, its meaning and its emotional content.
During the concert, Chief of Staff of the Lviv Regional Council Yaroslav Hasiak acknowledged the Latvian artist’s contribution to supporting Ukraine and presented him with a letter of appreciation on behalf of the Lviv Regional Council.
“For Ukrainians, freedom is not an abstraction — we fight for it every day at the front. Latvia is doing tremendous work for Ukraine, and friends of Ukraine such as Andrejs Osokins are raising awareness around the world of our struggle for freedom,” said Yaroslav Hasiak.
Andrejs Osokins is a laureate of prestigious international competitions named after Arthur Rubinstein, Long and Thibaud, in Leeds, and the Queen Elisabeth Competition. He has performed in leading concert halls across Europe, including the Berlin Philharmonie, Wigmore Hall and La Verdi.
Since the beginning of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the pianist has been a consistent supporter of our country and has completely refused to perform Russian repertoire. His Osokins Freedom Festival has become an international platform for promoting Ukrainian culture and raising funds to support Ukraine.
The funds raised through Osokins’ initiatives are directed towards supporting Ukrainian servicemen and civilians: purchasing equipment, drones, generators, medical devices, off-road vehicles and humanitarian aid. Separate assistance is provided for animals from regions affected by the war and for music schools that have been damaged as a result of the fighting.