Odesa, the city dubbed the pearl on the Black Sea, has been an important cultural capital for centuries. In addition to the city's grand, neo-baroque National Academic Theatre of Opera and Ballet and its renowned philharmonic orchestra, Odesa's famed musical heritage has produced virtuoso pianist Svyatoslav Richter and violinists David Oistrakh and Natan Milstein. (Also read: Restored masterpiece: The Isenheim Altarpiece)
This summer, numerous artists from all over the world had planned to make the pilgrimage to the Ukrainian city for the Odessa Classics summer festival. But the Russian invasion of Ukraine has forced the festival to move to venues in Tallinn, Estonia and Thessaloniki, Greece during May and June.
'Hope for Peace'
For star violinist and artist-in-residence Daniel Hope, the show must go on. As president of the Beethoven-Haus in Bonn, he co-initiated the project "Hope for Peace," a series of seven benefit concerts that will take place at Beethoven-Haus from July 5 to August 23.
"For many years I have played at the wonderful music festival Odessa Classics, a place that symbolizes the connection between Europe and Asia," he said of the festival's importance. Hope's mentor, the violonist Zakhar Bron, was also trained in Odesa.