Pacific Northwest Ballet Orchestra and Seattle Opera have collaborated to present a benefit concert for Ukrainian artists. The PNB Orchestra, conducted by PNB music director Emil de Cou and Alevtina Ioffe (currently making her Seattle Opera debut with The Marriage of Figaro), will be joined by Ukrainian mezzo-soprano Olga Syniakova and others, for a performance featuring Ukrainian folk songs, “A Prayer for Ukraine” (Silvestrov), music by Tchaikovsky, Prokofiev and Delibes, and more. All the proceeds will be donated to the Pegaz Cultural Association, which is working closely with the Poznan Opera House in Poland and other local organizations to host artist residencies by providing housing, food, rehearsal space and performance opportunities for Ukrainian artists who have taken refuge in Poland.
UNITY: A Concert for Ukraine will be performed one night only, May 16, at Seattle Center’s Marion Oliver McCaw Hall, 321 Mercer St. Curtain is at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are give-what-you-can with a minimum of $10. Donation amounts above $25 are tax-deductible. Seating is general admission. Tickets may be purchased exclusively through the PNB Box Office, 301 Mercer St., by calling 206-441-2424, or online at PNB.org. Subject to availability, tickets may be available 90 minutes prior to the performance at McCaw Hall. This performance does not include PNB dancers.
“Seattle Opera and Pacific Northwest Ballet stand united in our support for peace for the people of Ukraine, and for the displaced Ukrainian artists who have been prevented by war from earning a living and safely practicing their craft,” Seattle Opera General Director Christina Scheppelmann said in a press release. “The best thing we can do as arts organizations is to help ensure these artists have food, shelter, and the means to continue pursuing their life’s purpose: creating art that enriches their communities and uplifts the human spirit.”