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Transcript/ScriptMusic Transcends War
HEADLINE: Russian and Ukrainian Musicians Find Harmony in Music
TEASER: Their countries are at war, but the friendship between a cellist and a violinist plays on in the US
PUBLISHED AT: (DATE & TIME)
BYLINE: Iacopo Luzi
CONTRIBUTOR:
DATELINE: Washington
VIDEOGRAPHER: Iacopo Luzi
VIDEO EDITOR:
SCRIPT EDITORS: KE(1st), Reifenrath
VIDEO SOURCE (S):
PLATFORMS (mark with X): WEB __ TV __ RADIO __
TRT: 2:55
VID APPROVED BY: Jepsen
TYPE:
EDITOR NOTES:))
((INTRO))
[[The friendship of Ukrainian musician Valeriya Sholokhova and Russian musician Nikita Morozov transcends the fighting between their countries. For VOA News, Iacopo Luzi, has the story.]]
((Valeriya Sholokhova, New Orchestra of Washington))
“I just decided one day, when I was nine years old, that I'm going to become a cellist. And this was the coolest thing I could do with my life.”
((NARRATOR))
Thirty-one-year-old Valeriya Sholokhova is from Ukraine. She moved to the U.S. twenty years ago, but she still has her homeland in her heart.
((Valeriya Sholokhova, New Orchestra of Washington))
“There's nothing like watching your home burnt down. I felt horrible, for the next few days just shattered. And everything hurts. I mean, it was grief.”
((NARRATOR))
Sholokhova still has her father, relatives and friends in Ukraine. She says the images from Ukraine make her cry every day. But in the middle of her torment, a friend reached out.
((Valeriya Sholokhova, New Orchestra of Washington))
“He reached out to me first. Yeah, it was very, it was a very genuine touching message. Just saying that, you know, that he's heartbroken and that he's with me. And he feels my grief.”
((NARRATOR))
Nikita Morozov is a 35-year-old Russian violinist. He grew up in Montreal, Canada, and often performs with Sholokhova. They have been friends since they met at The Juilliard School in New York City more than a decade ago.
((Valeriya Sholokhova, New Orchestra of Washington))
“I love playing with Nikita, and it's playing with Nikita, I might say, is the best of what music is about. And it's mostly a feeling of connection and feeling like you're in the same way with somebody.”
((Nikita Morozov, New Orchestra of Washington))
“I think it's really important to, to use discernment and to find, you know, what is the source of the problem, which is Putin. And it is not the Russians, because there are so many Russians who are against this war.”
((NARRATOR))
The bond with Morozov is helping Sholokhova deal with this moment. And to her, it’s completely irrelevant that he is from Russia.
((Valeriya Sholokhova, New Orchestra of Washington))
“I think it's humanity above all else. I mean, I don't, I've never seen Nikita as a Russian violinist. And I've never seen myself necessarily as a Ukrainian cellist. And I think it's mutual.”
((NARRATOR))
For Valeriya, music is what helps her to get through the day.
((Valeriya Sholokhova, New Orchestra of Washington))
“This is the only thing that takes my mind off my grief right now. There are two things: being with people and playing music.”
((NARRATOR))
That’s why Morozov feels like he must take care of Sholokhova more than ever. Something, he says, everybody should do now with all the Ukrainians around the world.
((Nikita Morozov, New Orchestra of Washington))
“I think, you know, when we go through something difficult, and we're there for each other, you know, bonds are made, and connections are made. And they're much
stronger because you go through something extremely difficult together, and you're there for each other. And the friendship becomes stronger.”
((NARRATOR))
A music-based friendship that transcends the war between countries.
((Iacopo Luzi, VOA NEWS, Washington.)
NewsML Media TopicsArts, Culture, Entertainment and Media
NetworkVOA
Location (dateline)Washington D. C.
Embargo DateApril 3, 2022 13:43 EDT
Byline
((Iacopo Luzi, VOA NEWS, Washington.))
Brand / Language ServiceVoice of America - English
