Symphony's Cleveland concert benefits children of Chornobyl (12/06/98)

Symphony's Cleveland concert benefits children of Chornobyl

CLEVELAND - The Cleveland Chapter of the Children of Chornobyl Relief Fund (CCRF) sponsored a gala benefit concert on Wednesday, September 23, featuring the Kiev [Kyiv] Symphony Orchestra and Chorus under the direction of Roger McMurrin. The concert drew over 1,100 music lovers to Cleveland's historic Severance Hall for a performance of Ukrainian choral works and international classics, including works by Rutter, Gershwin, Prokofiev, Handel, Leontovych and Lysenko.

The concert was co-sponsored by the CCRF, University Hospitals and the Cleveland Plain-Dealer. The program received extensive coverage on Cleveland's classical radio station, WCLV, in the Plain Dealer and in local community newspapers. Cleveland's CBS affiliate WOIO (Channel 19) filmed a segment of the KSOC's recording session for a new CD to be released under the prestigious Telark record label. The local Fox affiliate, WJW (Channel 8), hosted a live interview with Chornobyl survivor Vova Malofienko and Dr. Taras Mahlay on its morning news hour on September 22 to discuss the ongoing health crisis and the continuing need for medical aid in Ukraine.

Gov. George Voinovich of Ohio issued a special proclamation on the day of the concert, welcoming the Kiev Symphony Orchestra and Chorus to Ohio and congratulating Mr. McMurrin on his return to his native state. Mr. McMurrin and his wife, Diane, live year-round in Kyiv where they direct "Music Mission Kiev," a "charity organization registered in Florida that supports concerts and musicians, and has also established the Church of the Holy Trinity in Kyiv.

The principal coordinators of the benefit concert were Drs. Taras and Natalia Mahlay of Hinckley, Ohio. Dr. Taras Mahlay serves as the president of the CCRF's Cleveland Chapter. A specialist in internal medicine with a private practice in Parma, he initiated the contact with KSOC and devoted an extraordinary amount of time and energy to organize the Severance Hall concert.

The Mahlays were aided in their effort by many parishioners of St. Vladimir's Ukrainian Orthodox Cathedral in Parma, who opened up their homes to the visiting musicians and provided several days of free lodging to help defray the KSOC's administrative costs.

Previously, St. Vladimir's parish raised over $20,000 for the purchase of neonatal incubators and anesthesia machines the CCRF delivered to the Chernihiv Regional Children's Hospital last year.

Dr. Taras Mahlay expressed his gratitude to the Rev. John Nakonachny, the Rev. Volodymyr Steliac, Deacon Ihor Mahlay and all the members of the organizing committee who helped to make the concert a success.

The CCRF extended its gratitude to Dick Russ of WJW-TV, who helped secure corporate sponsors for the benefit concert, to Iryna Kulick, Dr. Lee and Frances McMurrin, Michael and Tanya Dobronos, Dr. Ihor Zachary, Nancy McNeal, Andrew Futey, Taras Szmagala Jr., Andrij Bebko and other community members who helped with ticket sales, publicity, lodging and logistics for the concert tour.

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