LAKE FOREST (CBSLA) — When the conflict in Ukraine broke out, concert violinist Iryna Krechkovsky felt helpless.
“I was born and raised in Ukraine, Ivano-Frankivisk, the western part of Ukraine,” she said.
Even though she spent most of her life in North America, first Canada and then the United States, she still felt a strong attachment to Ukraine — especially when her cousin, a violinist for the Kyiv Opera, joined the Ukrainian Army.
“You know it feels guilty to be here — to be safe,” Krechkovsky said. “But we’re trying to do what we can.”
Racked with guilt, Krechkovsky knew she had to help. As the co-founder of Chamber Music Orange County and with help from her violinist sister Marta, Krechkovsky gathered a group of classical musicians and planned a benefit concert featuring classical Ukrainian music. All proceeds from the paid streaming concert will be donated to humanitarian aid provided by the United Ukrainian American Relief Committee.
“The thought behind this is ‘how do we reach as many people as possible if we can’t physically have them here?'” Krechkovsky said. “And we thought that doing a live stream would be the most logical solution.”
Krechkovsky added music has always brought people closer together, even in the darkest of times.
“What I would want Ukrainian people to know is that they are not alone,” she said. “And that we together can lift, not only the spirit, confidence and strength to Ukrainian people to keep fighting for their freedom, [but] to live in the country that they love.
The concert link will be sent to anyone who donates any amount of money to the Chamber Music OC website.
