As the war in Ukraine enters its fifth year, Ukrainian musicians continue to demonstrate creative courage and resilience, using their art to reflect the conflict’s trauma and fight for freedom. Works like Ukrainian composer Anna Korsun’s *Terricone*—which premiered in 2023 and depicts the scarred landscapes of Donbas—and Opera Aperta’s post-nuclear folk-punk opera *Chornobyldorf* bring the profound emotional and historical realities of the war to international audiences.
The conflict has also challenged and exposed hypocrisies within classical music culture, such as the delayed scrutiny of conductors like Valery Gergiev and his ties to Vladimir Putin’s regime. Meanwhile, many Ukrainian artists have consciously chosen to reject Russian language and repertoire. The Ukrainian Freedom Orchestra (UFO), founded and conducted by Keri-Lynn Wilson, exemplifies this urgent spirit, performing monumental works like Beethoven’s fifth and ninth symphonies with an intensity that serves as a vital call to action and a herald of peace. As the war becomes a steady state of horror that risks fading from front-page headlines in the West, these musical expressions stand as some of the world’s most urgent messages, reminding audiences of the ever-present trauma experienced by millions of Ukrainians.
