Charity concerts for Ukrainian refugees

A campaign by JenaKultur, the City of Jena, the Jena Philharmonic Orchestra and the Lions Club Jena e. V.

War in the middle of Europe

Suddenly Corona is at the back of the queue. Suddenly there are bigger problems. Suddenly there is war in the middle of Europe. A situation that we all only know from stories is suddenly real.

JenaKultur cannot just stand by and try to support within the scope of its own possibilities. That is why the city's own municipal enterprise has come up with a charity campaign to benefit the Ukrainian refugees arriving in Jena.

War is always a humanitarian catastrophe and it is now up to us to find ways and means to help the people who are suffering from this situation. In Ukraine, but also locally in Jena,

says Carsten Müller, Acting Director of JenaKultur. He adds:

Colleagues from more than 20 countries work at JenaKultur. Also from Ukraine. We have been organizing concerts and exhibitions with artists from all over the world for years. We give language courses at the adult education center and support integrative educational work at the music and art school and the Ernst Abbe Library. For us, the focus is always on people, regardless of nationality, religion or skin color, and this is also the motivation behind our fundraising campaign, which we as JenaKultur, together with all our institutions, in particular the Jena Philharmonic Orchestra, as well as the City of Jena and the Lions Club Jena e. V., are calling for and with which we also want to show our Ukrainian colleagues and fellow citizens: You are not alone!

Proceeds will be donated

Together with the Jena Philharmonic Orchestra, JenaKultur will donate all of the proceeds from its already sold-out Thursday concert on March 3. In order to give many people the opportunity to hear the concert despite the corona-related capacity restrictions and to extend the fundraising campaign, it will be repeated on Friday at 20:00 in the Volkshaus Jena.

Jena's Lord Mayor Dr. Thomas Nitzsche says:

The images of the war in Ukraine make us very concerned. At the same time, I am impressed by the numerous offers of help and voluntary initiatives that Jena's city society has already launched. I would like to thank JenaKultur and the Jena Philharmonic Orchestra for setting a musical example for peace and understanding with the benefit concert and thus also providing material aid for refugees from Ukraine.

Lutz Scherf, current President of the Lions Club Jena e. V., adds:

'Some of the fundamental aims of the Lions Clubs' worldwide commitment are to promote international understanding and to support refugees, displaced persons and victims of war. For this reason, we are supporting the project initiated by JenaKultur and will also be campaigning for further donations to support Ukrainian war refugees in Jena.

Benefit concerts by the Jena Philharmonic Orchestra on March 3 and 4 at the Volkshaus Jena

The program will include Igor Stravinsky's Pulcinella Suite, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's Violin Concerto No. 5 and Franz Schubert's Symphony No. 2. As the actual violinist Antje Weithaas is unable to perform due to illness, the violinist and conductor Fedor Rudin has been engaged for the planned program. He will lead the Jena Philharmonic Orchestra as soloist in Mozart's Violin Concerto, from the concertmaster position in the Pulcinella Suite and conduct Schubert's Symphony No. 2. The French-Russian violinist and conductor is quickly establishing himself as one of the most unique and versatile concert artists of today's generation. The Jena Philharmonic Orchestra is delighted that Rudin has agreed to come to Jena and support them in this project.

Musicians from many different nations work together in the Jena Philharmonic Orchestra. I myself was born in Russia, grew up in France, studied in Germany and live in Austria. I hardly feel I belong to any one nation, but have always felt European. We are all different, but we also have a lot in common, like music. There can be no justification for what has been happening for days,

said Rudin.

Tickets for the second performance of the concert on Friday are available from tomorrow, Wednesday, March 2, 2022, at the Jena Tourist Information, online on the Jena Philharmonic website and at the box office on site from one hour before the concert begins. The 3G rule applies.

#lightforpeace2022

However, the company also knows that external signs are also important, as they can shine not only in the city, but also far outwards. Since Monday evening, the main venues of the Eigenbetrieb have been thematically illuminated. JenaKultur is taking part in the Europe-wide Light for Peace campaign.

Achieving more together

Anyone wishing to make a donation to support Ukrainian refugees in Jena is asked to do so:

Donation account: Relief organization of the Lions Club Jena e. V.
DE05 8305 3030 0018 0340 80
Sparkasse Jena Saale-Holzland
Purpose: Ukraine *

*Please also state your address in the reason for payment, we will then issue and send you a donation receipt.

The city of Jena has compiled an overview of all aid offers in Jena.