大象传媒

During the Ukrainian Freedom Orchestra's staging of Beethoven's Ode To Joy, they changed the word "joy" to "slava" which means "glory" - the Ukrainian word that has come to represent their fight for freedom.

The orchestra was the idea of conductor Keri Lynn-Wilson, who lives in Canada but is herself of Ukrainian descent. The group of 74 Ukrainian musicians, many of whom are refugees from the war, has been touring Europe. She spoke to Newsday the morning after their performance in Amsterdam.

"I envision the soldiers who are dying everyday to fight for their country. We are bonded by not only our passion for music but our fight against oppression which makes this orchestra very special."

(Pic: Founder of the Ukrainian Freedom Orchestra, Keri-Lynn Wilson, conducts during a performance at Schoenhausen Palace in Berlin, Germany to mark Ukraine's Independence Day; Credit: EPA)