A call for peace and justice

​A call for peace and justice. A tribute to the innocent victims of the war in Ukraine. The Chamber Orchestra of the North presents Drop after Drop. It is an international ensemble of 20 young string players. We were so taken by their inspired playing that we invited them to make their debut in The Hague. Maxim Shalygin conducts the ensemble in works by himself and his Ukrainian compatriots Svyatoslav Lunyov and Valentin Silvestrov. A meditative and introspective programme in a lighting design by Nico de Rooij.

​Ukrainian contemporary music resists easy classification. Composers at the conservatory in Kyiv are stimulated to find their unique style and artistic voice. Valentin Silvestrov composes ethereal, wistful music that seems to emanate from another realm, with a distinctly individual sound. His three-movement Silent Music for strings stands out as one of his finest compositions. The equally distinctive Svyatoslav Lunyov creates a sense of suspended time in Tristium. ​Maxim Shalygin, who has been living and working in The Hague for ten years, is achieving international acclaim with highly expressive compositions in which he does not hesitate to explore extremes. He presents two contemplative pieces: Drop after Drop and Lullaby, an homage to life. Satarsa is a work of Mahlerian grandeur, a tribute to the Argentine writer Julio Cortázar.