Page 170 - Aldeburgh Festival 2022 FINAL COVERAGE BOOK

Symphony (pictured above) as two ensembles currently struggling logistically
and financially with planning UK concerts.

The newly formed Ukrainian Freedom Orchestra, whose players include
musicians who recently fled the war, has recently begun a tour of Europe and
this summer is scheduled to perform at three festivals across the UK including
the Edinburgh International Festival, and at Snape Maltings.

However, the orchestra’s musicians will be re-entering the UK twice during their
three-concert visit, due to prearranged concerts in other European cities,
meaning a multi-entry visa will be needed for each musician, costing £259 per
head. With the orchestra totalling around 100 musicians, this puts the total visa
cost at £18,000 for just three UK concerts.

Playing alongside refugee players in the orchestra, are musicians from the Kyiv
National Opera, National Symphony Orchestra of Ukraine, Lviv Philharmonic
Orchestra, and Kharkiv Opera, among other Ukrainian ensembles. Outside of
Ukraine, players come from ensembles including the Tonkunstler Orchestra of
Vienna, the Belgian National Orchestra, and the Royal Concertgebouw
Orchestra.

Read more: Kyiv’s National Opera House defiantly reopens as war rages on in
Ukraine

The Ukrainian Freedom Orchestra is scheduled to perform at the Edinburgh International Festival
2022. Picture: EIF

Mark Pemberton, chief executive of the Association of British Orchestras (ABO),
describes charging the musicians for entry to the UK as “morally repugnant”.