Odesa Hosts "Ode to Resilience" Concert Featuring War-Inspired Works

On March 7, symphonic works by composers influenced by the events of the war in Ukraine will be performed in Odesa. They will be interpreted by the conductor of the Kharkiv Regional Philharmonic, Serhiy Lykhomanenko, who has been in Donetsk region for three years as an officer of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in the 5th separate assault brigade. Italian composer Gabriele Denaro was not afraid to join his project "Ode to Resilience" and came to Odesa.

Intent attended a rehearsal of the Odesa Philharmonic Orchestra and talked to the musicians.

The rehearsal. Photo: Intent/Nata Chernetska

Serhiy Lykhomanenko, who has never played with the Odesa Philharmonic before, is at the console. Gabriel Denaro, a Sicilian who has already experienced Russian attacks in Odesa, is at the piano.

Did the OdesaPhilharmonic suffer as a result of the Russian missile attack on January 31? Are you not afraid to perform?

Photo: Intent/Nata Chernetska

Likhomanenko: Yes, I am aware of these events. No, I'm not afraid. I have been fighting in Donetsk region for three years. I'm already used to it. But it's harder for Gabriel Denare. He is not used to it. That's why our pianist Yevhen Heplyuk played his Piano Concerto with the Ukrainian Orchestra No. 1 in Zaporizhzhia . I hope everything will be fine during the concert in Odesa.

Gabriel Denaro. Photo: Intent/Nata Chernetska

Denaro: When my family found out I was going to Ukraine, they called me crazy. But I realize that I need it. I've already heard your sirens, it's terrible. I was so worried about this war, for two years I didn't write, play, or listen to music. But I'm back in Ukraine again, and I'm glad I'm in Odesa, and I've resumed working with you.

Tell us, how did it happen that the conductor of the Kharkiv Regional Philharmonic was mobilized?

Photo: Intent/Nata Chernetska

Likhomanenko: At first, I worked as a journalist, then I allowed myself to graduate from the conservatory, and I conducted many orchestras, but in 2022 the war broke out. I joined the theater back in Kyiv. I remembered that I had a medical degree. And then there was a recruitment for the 5th Assault Brigade. I went to the communications department. I worked there for three years, and now I'm working on a music project called Ode to Resilience.

What does it feel like to perform after three years of pause?

Photo: Intent/Nata Chernetska

Likhomanenko: I recover quickly. I don't want to make any mistakes, I haven't worked at the console for a long time. But everyone understands everything.

"Ode to Resilience. How did this project come about? What is it about?

Photo: Intent/Nata Chernetska

Likhomanenko: We took the piano pieces by classical composers Borys Liatoshynskyi (Prelude in Fis-Moll) and Viktor Kosenko (Sonata No. 3 for piano), which they wrote during the First and Second World Wars, and reworked them into symphonic pieces. Thus, they will be performed in symphonic arrangements for the first time. The program also includes contemporary compositions by Gabriel Denaro (Ukrainian Concerto) and Vlad Solodovnikov (Concerto for a Surviving Piano, after the tragic events in Bucha).

Photo: Intent/Nata Chernetska

This is a cultural and charitable project that not only promotes contemporary Ukrainian culture but also supports the Armed Forces of Ukraine, in particular the 5th Separate Assault Brigade.

Photo: Intent/Nata Chernetska

Denara: I am very grateful for this project. It's an opportunity to convey my feelings through the notes to the public, which is what a composer wants to achieve. This music was written for the military. It is a strong message to those who listen to us. Also, during this hour and a half concert, the Odesa audience can leave the thought of war and enter the world that is music. Music is a world of love and peace, it stands for the end of the war, for peace on this earth.

Don't you think that words like "invincibility" and "resilience" are already being erased?

Photo: Intent/Nata Chernetska

Likhomanenko: Oh, we came up with the name of this concert, Ode to Resilience, even before President Volodymyr Zelenskyy presented his Resilience Plan. So it was the President's Office that took the name from us (laughs).

Photo: Intent/Nata Chernetska

You work with orchestras of local philharmonic societies - how do you compare the level of the Odesa one?

Likhomanenko: I am not familiar with Hobart Earle, but I highly appreciate what he has done as a conductor for the Odesa Philharmonic. Now we are analyzing new works, and each person in the orchestra adds something different to the performance.

I like to work with new works so as not to repeat the already classical vision. We've already performed Ode to Resilience in Kyiv and Zaporizhzhia, and we were very warmly received by the audience.

You say that the project is dedicated to the fallen defenders and is also a kind of gratitude to those who defend the country. How do they perceive it?

Photo: Intent/Nata Chernetska

Likhomanenko: At war, people are very different, not everyone understands classical music. But, for example, Denaro, an Italian composer and solo pianist, is known for his works that combine emotionality and technical perfection. He is very easy to listen to and is often compared to Ennio Morricone. In addition, his participation emphasizes the support of Ukraine by the international artistic community.

Denaro: I have met Ennio Morricone only once, I am not his student, but many people tell me so. I'm not that famous, but I, like Morricone, managed to convey feelings through music, to convey love, to convey even tears, even goosebumps. These are the feelings that certain music can give, you may not feel with your ears, but you feel with your heart.

I have been performing concerts for almost 40 years, and people tell me that they have been moved by my music. I thank God for giving me this gift, and I use it for good.

Photo: Intent/Nata Chernetska

Are there any volunteers in Odesa who help the 5th Brigade?

Likhomanenko: Yes, our friends will come to the concert. I want to dedicate this project to their cultural and moral support. Each concert carries a symbol of invincibility, faith in victory, and deep gratitude to the military who defend our land every day.

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