The Polish National Opera has announced that the 74 musicians that make up the newly-established Ukrainian Freedom Orchestra have arrived at the Polish National Opera, Teatr Wielki in Warsaw.

The orchestra will take up a 10-day artistic residency that will conclude with the inaugural concert of its concert tour.

In a joint statement, Peter Gelb, the General Manager of the Metropolitan Opera in New York, and Waldemar Dąbrowski, the Director of the Polish National Opera, said, “Music can be a powerful weapon against oppression. This tour is meant to defend Ukrainian art and its brave artists as they fight for the freedom of their country.”

The inaugural concert will take place on July 28 in Warsaw and will see concerts in 12 cities and 13 concert halls, including London, Berlin, Amsterdam, Hamburg, Dublin, New York, and Washington D.C.

Gelb, who was in Poland said, “This day is a very exciting day in my life. I dreamed with Keri-Lynn that this would actually happen and today it has. Thank you so much for being here. This is an historic event and this will be a historic tour. It is here, in this theatre, over the next ten days, that the Ukrainian Freedom Orchestra will be born. (…)”

Founding conductor Keri-Lynn Wilson added, “I wanted to bring the best orchestral musicians of Ukraine together, from both inside and outside of their country, in a proud display of artistic unity. I look forward to leading these gifted musicians across Europe and to the United States. This tour is in an expression of love for their homeland and to honor those who have died and have suffered so much.”