French musician Salomé Gasselin’s first journey to Kyiv offered a clear view of Europe’s cultural imprint in Ukraine. As the centuries-old sound of the viola da gamba filled the National Philharmonic, the concert was described as a “small miracle,” affirming Ukraine’s deep cultural ties to Europe in the language of music.
Life in wartime is anything but ordinary, though in its midst many platitudes arise. “Life goes on,” or, for example, that music “can heal the soul.” As nightly bombings and nationwide blackouts permeate everything, a classical concert can understandably be met with an eye roll.
In the case of the French musician Salomé Gasselin’s representation at Ukraine’s National Philharmonic, featured as part of the Kyiv Baroque Festival, founded in 2024 and organized with the support of the Embassy of France and the French Institute in Ukraine, the room was met with a “small miracle,” as the director of the French Institute put it.
