New Zealand composer dedicates symphony to Ukraine

According to a Ukrinform correspondent, Harris said in his speech from the stage that he hoped to support Ukrainians in their resistance to Russian aggression.

The audience greeted the musical work with prolonged applause.

This is the latest of more than 200 works by the 80-year-old composer, best known for his first opera, performed in the Maori language, and seven other symphonies, which contained musical reflections on topics such as war, ecology, and the future.

Harris said he had been working on his “Ukrainian symphony” since February 2022, when the full-scale invasion began, which filled him with horror and at the same time a desire to express himself.

“This music embodies support for Ukraine — I think that should be felt,” the composer emphasized.

At the concert, the Christchurch Symphony Orchestra performed Beethoven's Ninth Symphony after Harris's Eighth Symphony.

Photo from the composer's website.