Siemens presents the Kyiv Symphony Orchestra in concert to mark the opening of the Reclaiming Europe conference 

"Art brings people together and reinforces shared values", says Stephan Frucht, Artistic Director of the Siemens Arts Program. "This collaboration with the Kyiv Symphony Orchestra and our support for the Reclaiming Europe conference help to demonstrate our conviction that Ukrainian science and culture are integral to the intellectual landscape of Central Europe. Returning to the Gdansk shipyard, the birthplace of such a prominent freedom movement, for the event seems most appropriate."

The sole musical item on the program is Franz Schubert's Symphony No. 8 in C major ("The Great") with the Kyiv Symphony Orchestra conducted by Stephan Frucht. The concert will also be attended by two past winners of the Nobel Peace Prize: Former President of Poland Lech Wałęsa and Ukrainian human rights lawyer Oleksandra Matviichuk.

Reclaiming Europe has been granted substantial financial support by the office of Federal Government Commissioner for Eastern Germany, Minister of State Carsten Schneider. The agenda for the conference is based on the eponymous manifesto. The founding members of the Young Network TransEurope, 17 particularly outstanding and committed young scientists from a range of different disciplines, have drawn up the program, which will see them discuss the subjects of democracy, freedom and prosperity with guests representing academia and civil society from 14 countries across Europe. These discussions will give rise to a series of interdisciplinary projects to be launched over the next few years to address the consequences of the attack on Ukraine – and what it means for the future – with the ultimate objective of developing new perspectives in relation to Central and Eastern Europe that challenge the long-established narratives.

The Kyiv Symphony Orchestra was founded in 1979 in the Ukrainian capital and ranks as one of the country's most significant cultural institutions. The orchestra, with 130 musicians, relocated to Germany in the wake of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. It has since performed at numerous prestigious festivals, including the Schleswig-Holstein Festival and Vienna Festival, and at the Berliner Philharmonie (Berlin) and Elbphilharmonie (Hamburg) concert halls, and has now settled in Monheim am Rhein as part of the town's lively cultural program.

Active in the fields of music, the visual arts and cultural education, the Siemens Arts Program regards itself as a creative platform for corporate arts and cultural projects. It creates innovative projects with prominent individuals and institutions throughout the arts and culture scene.

One of the program's priorities is to support outstanding young artists all around the world, an objective it pursues through scholarships, its own young talent competitions and a scheme to introduce young artists to established international cultural institutions such as the Bavarian State Opera, Carnegie Hall New York, The Hallé, Salzburg Festival and the ARD International Music Competition