On 3 July 2003 Kiev musicians addressed the theme of Holocaust. The National Philharmonic Hall of Columns was the site of the concert in memory of Holocaust victims, initiated by Edward Idelchuk, a co-founder of The Ukrainian Watercolors chamber ensemble, who presently works in Finland. Conceived quite spontaneously of works of classical and contemporary composers devoted to the Jewish theme, the concert was not dedicated to any anniversary, although the mention of the tragedy is generally avoided, except for anniversaries. The Philharmonic Hall does not frequently address such themes either. Meanwhile, the program, which includes The Sonata by A.Schnittke, S.Prokofiev's Ouverture on Jewish Themes, Kadish by M.Ravel, as well as J.Williams' theme to "The Schindler List" film and Gerschwin's Berceuse, deserves the audience's attention.
        Leo Smith's Unfinished Quartet was written in a concentration camp. It remained unfinished because the composer's life was cut short in a gas chamber. The score has miraculously survived, and it will be the first performance of this truly tragic music in Ukraine. The soiree will close with a joyful P. Schenfeld's Freilechs totendanz.

        Apart from Edward Idelchuk, the participants will include the soloists of The Ukrainian Watercolors, the merited artists of Ukraine Anna Seredenko (piano), Ludmila Voinarovska (soprano), and the laureates of international contests Vladimir Nohr (Russia), and Ukrainian musicians Oleg Zaremsky (clarinet), Bohdan Dnisko (alto) and Sofia Suldina (violin).

        The concert would never have been realized without sponsorship of Trade House Mikhail Voronin and personal attention and participation of Academician Mikhail Voronin, the president of the corporation.

OKSANA SHEVCHENKO