It was such a great joy and honor to play the organ at Lviv Railway Station, Ukraine, on January 10 and 11, 2025, as a part of Zhanna Kadyrova's art project "Instrument". Art and music indeed can play a vital role in times of trouble.
This well-used pipe organ with exploded shell fragments pointing out of the pipes stays for several months in the middle of the main Railway hall. Directional loudspeakers around the organ were looping reminiscences from the past concerts. An enlighted, spirited monument radiating a comforting aura of sound in an otherwise busy environment.
There were live performances every weekend since December. For me, my two performances became memorable meetings with people, young and old. Some people came from far to listen, some were random bypassers. Some had a difficult life, some had marks from the ongoing war. While showing you pictures of their destroyed house they would thank you for the music that reminded them of their homeplace.
What did I play? Short pieces that I really love and that I thought could give something to a random audience. Connecting with my home Norway - the piece Sæverud wrote as protest against the Second World War invaders (Kjempeviseslåtten), a couple of melancholic Tveitt tunes, some Grieg. Then Bach’s deep, deep c minor BWV 537 for the ending. All mixed with my free improvisations. Started the whole thing with Ukraine’s National Hymn. And yes the mayor of Lviv Andriy Sadoviy was there for Friday's concert, a big honor!
Later on I was invited to the quite fresh Lviv Arts Center, super nice artist-driven space in an abandoned building. There, a spontaneous collaboration happened, involving Grand Mutation, the music I made many years ago with Lasse Marhaug, for their exhibition opening a few days after! I left Ukraine but my sounds and noises will stay there, how amazing isn’t that !!
Thanks to Ribbon International and Українська залізниця / Ukrainian railway for sponsoring arts in the middle of trouble. Thanks to Zhanna Kadyrova for a very meaningful art project and for inviting me
