Teodora (33) from Groningen plays Ukrainian music with her orchestra around May 4. ‘Bringing a spark of light into the world’

You only play Ukrainian music. What is the connection with May 4?

“The concert is a tribute to all victims of the Second World War and the wars that are taking place now. Composer Maxim Shalygin wrote the piece after which the project is named, Drop after Drop, in 2022. The reason was the war in Ukraine, his native country. It has now been performed all over the world. The special thing about it is that Maxim not only focuses on the horror of war, but also brings beauty. As a counterbalance to all the bloodshed. If we all contribute a drop of good, the world can change.”

How did this project come about?

“As the Chamber Orchestra of the North, we specialize in multidisciplinary performances. Not just making music, but adding extra layers. We play pieces for string orchestra for 1.5 hours, one after the other, without a break or applause in between. Nico de Rooij has created a lighting design and singer Maryana Golovchenko sings Ukrainian folk songs in between that connect the pieces. Because of the story she tells and the intimate atmosphere that Nico creates, it becomes a layered experience that appeals to multiple senses.”

You will play works by Silvestrov, Lunyov and Shalygin, who conducts the concerts. You guys have worked with him before, right?

“Maxim wrote the piece in 2021 Satarsa for us, that we are now playing again. He helped us with the implementation and from this a friendly relationship developed that we want to expand. We also asked 5 Ukrainian musicians to participate, members of the Kyiv Chamber Orchestra, who fled their country due to the war. That’s our way of supporting them.”

The music you perform is very melodious and accessible, almost meditative.

“Our language is music. That’s a language we all share, no matter where you come from. We don’t just want to dwell on the misery of war, which we can all see. We want to bring a spark of light into the world. To remind ourselves that people create not only horror but also beauty, something meditative, a shared experience with the audience.”

You yourself come from Bulgaria. How is the Second World War commemorated there?

“Similarly to here. I think it happens everywhere. The musicians of the Chamber Orchestra of the North are very international. Everyone brings their own past with them. The wars in the Balkans also resonate for me. But we also have musicians from Mexico, with a very different history. Music unites us. We remember those who lost their lives so that we can now do what we do. Ultimately, we are all equal and we all struggle with war.”