Some extraordinary news this week. We are delighted to introduce a new Cherubim awardee, 15 year old Ukrainian refugee harpist Liliia Konstantinova.
Liliia has been playing harp since the age of 5, and was in the 9th Grade at Kharkiv State Music Lyceum when the war started. Veronika Lemishenko, Artistic Director of the international harp project 'Glowing Harp', helped Liliia and her mum and sister to move to the Czech Republic, while her father remained in Ukraine to fight. However, Liliia did not have the opportunity to develop her playing, so thanks to the indefatigable efforts of her foster hosts Penny & Mike Davis, she has been granted a visa to live and study in Britain.
Liliia is now preparing to enter Junior Trinity to study harp with Professor Gabriella Dall’Olio, and she will attend Guildford County School. We have met with Lili and she is delighted to borrow our Salvi Apollo 'XXth Anniversary' harp, and she is settling well into Guildford. We can't wait to be part of her journey and we are so glad we were able to help with the loan of an instrument; next year we hope to have Liliia play in some concerts to raise funds for the musicians she left behind who are struggling to maintain their once excellent music education system.
