“Brundibar: Voices of Children”: the children's anti-war opera premiers in Kyiv

Yesterday marked the premiere of the children's anti-war opera “Brundibar: Voices of Children.” The event took place as part of the Bring Kids Back UA initiative under the patronage of Daria Herasymchuk, Commissioner of the President of Ukraine for Children’s Rights and Rehabilitation, at the National Philharmonic of Ukraine.

"Brundibar" is a composition by Czech composer Hans Krasa, renowned as a symbol of resistance against Nazism, and it was first performed in 1943 within a concentration camp in Czechoslovakia. Its central theme revolves around children who became victims of war.

Yesterday, this legendary opera resonated with the voices of Ukrainian children, those who have lived under occupation or fled Ukraine to escape shelling, and those whose parents are serving on the front lines. These are the children whose innocence was stolen by Russia in this war.

Going forward, the children's anti-war opera “Brundibar: Voices of Children” will be presented to the foreign audiences to spread a powerful message advocating for resilience and the enduring spirit of hope, urging global communities to stand together against the devastations of Russia’s war against Ukraine and support the rights and well-being of Ukrainian children affected by the aggression.