Unity for Ukraine

The Ukrainian Institute of America, in collaboration with European partner organizations, presents this benefit concert in support of humanitarian relief for Ukrainians.

As savage brutality is being unleashed on the Ukrainian people, artists of many nationalities, united by the universal bonds of music, will stand together to show the world that the human spirit can triumph over aggression and that light can overcome darkness.

The majestic Harry F. Sinclair House, home of the Ukrainian Institute, is the venue for this exceptional event featuring an esteemed group of accomplished musicians. The program consists of works by Isaac Albeniz, J.S. Bach, Johannes Brahms, Frederic Chopin, Viktor Kosenko, Bela Kovacs, Jules Massenet, Victoria Poleva, Serhiy Prokofiev, Jan Sibelius, Pavel Šprocl, and Richard Strauss.

The Spanish pianist Jose Ramon Mendez will participate in representation of the Consulate General of Spain.

About Jose Ramon Mendez

Mendez has been described as “an artist with a polished sound and tremendous constructive power” and hailed by the Hoja del Lunes de Madrid as “the Spanish pianist of his generation.”

Recent performances include Chopin’s first piano concerto with the Cuban National Symphony Orchestra and Manuel de Falla’s Nights in the Gardens of Spain with the Nittany Valley Symphony, as well as numerous solo and chamber music performances in the United States, Europe, and Asia. His playing has been featured on WQXR’s Performance Today and on Classical KMFA.

He has been a guest performer at many music festivals, including Caramoor Festival, Barge Music Series, Festival Internacional de Piano de las Islas Canarias, Music at Penns Woods, Amalfi Coast International Music Festival, Tocando el Cielo, Musica en Compostela, the Stony Brook International Piano Festival, and the Santander International Music Festival.

As a chamber musician, Mendez has collaborated with such distinguished artists as Karl Leister, Itzhak Perlman, Michael Tree, Pascual Martinez-Nieto, and Pinchas Zukerman.

The concert will be simulcast on YouTube.