Soprano Kathryn Lewek and tenor Zach Borichevsky will premiere a special benefit concert in response to the global food crisis worsened by the war in Ukraine.

Lewek and Borichevsky considered how they could support Ukraine and vulnerable populations facing increased food insecurity because of the war. In May 2022, the husband and wife duo presented “The Food of Love” – A Benefit Concert for the United Nations World Food Program in Doylestown, Pennsylvania. A recording of the concert will be available for streaming on Oct.7, 2022 via foodoflove.org.

“When Russia invaded Ukraine early this year, all we could do was watch in horror and heartbreak with the rest of the world. But it did not take long for the artistic community to find ways to organize aid for those whose lives were upended by the violence,” said Lewek and Borichevsky in a joint statement. “In May, we joined those efforts and presented a concert in the community where Zach grew up to benefit Ukrainian refugees. Since those early days, we’ve seen the destruction in Ukraine spiral outwards in its impact, and especially how food security in the developing world has been compromised. The United Nations World Food Program strives to lessen the burden of families whose ability to put food on their tables is hindered by global conflict. Russia and Ukraine are two of the world’s major breadbaskets, and those who feel the effects of the crisis the most will be those who were already the most vulnerable. It is our only wish that we turn music, the greatest unifier and what we love most, into something that benefits people less fortunate than us.”

The concert repertoire includes popular arias by Verdi, Gounod, Berstein, R. Strauss, Bizet, Puccini, and Leoncavallo. You can watch the official trailer here.

100 percent of the proceeds will go to the UN World Food Program, which researches and combats food insecurity, afflicting hundreds of millions of people worldwide. Viewers can donate directly or through Facebook.