Ode to Peace
On 10 March 2022, 59 EBU classical channels in Europe and beyond gave powerful and meaningful airtime to promote peace as a testament to the human spirit. They came together to broadcast part or all of Beethoven’s 9th Symphony.
Inspired by an initiative from Radio Romania, an EBU Member, this transmission was heard in 33 countries at various moments of the day, in many different versions of the same work with musicians chosen specifically by each broadcaster for that special day.
The project initiator, Cristina Comandasu, Editor-in-Chief, Radio România Muzical, said the following:
“In difficult times, we need to remember the symbols of the best of what we are and what we stand for. And what better symbol than one of the masterpieces of the human creative mind, Beethoven's 9th Symphony, with its connection to the notions of brotherhood and peace? For the last 50 years, it has been an anthem for the European Union, which seeks to uphold the value of each human life, whoever that person may be. Whether you listen to the entire symphony or only its last movement, it will bind you to the values that underpin the society we live in and which some are dying to defend.”
Furthermore, philharmonic orchestras from Bucharest, Ploiesti, Brasov, Sibiu, Oradea, Cluj and the National Opera in Bucharest have joined the project at the invitation of Radio România, performing the European anthem at the start of their concerts, also on 10 March.
On the same date, the European anthem was also heard throughout the entire Romanian territory, not just in concert halls or on the radio, but in unconventional spaces like supermarkets, malls, libraries, offices, all as part of Radio România Muzical's project "Listen to 5 minutes of classical music".
Jean Philip De Tender, Deputy Director General and Media Director, EBU, said, “Through this joint broadcast initiative from Radio Romania, together with a great number of classical channels, EBU radio organizations prove once more the power music has when it comes to bringing comfort, compassion and support. Building a multitude of bridges between human beings, radio listeners and musicians from around the world, remains at the heart of our public service values."
In support of the Ode to Peace project, DKU have kindly offered a performance of the anthem from December 2018, with the Berlin Radio Symphony Orchestra and Chorus, conducted by Vladimir Jurowski. As an artist personally moved by this war, DKU recorded a statement with Jurowski on 4 March 2022 to provide some context on the meaning of Friedrich Schiller’s pertinent words within Beethoven’s setting. He highlights how they have evolved throughout history and are still – almost two centuries on – able to unite in times of difficulty. The concert and speech (in both German and English) can be found under the reference SM/2022/03/13/01.
Follow #OdeToPeace on social media for more on the campaign.
List of radio channels
AUSTRALIA
ABC Classic
10:00 (9 March, 23:00 UTC)
Sydney Philharmonia Choir, Australian World Orchestra, Alexander Briger
AUSTRIA
Ö1
11:30 (10:30 UTC)
BELGIUM
RTBF Musiq3
09:20 (08:20 UTC)
Bavarian Radio Choir and Symphony Orchestra, Mariss Jansons
VRT Klara
11 March 09:00 (11 March 08:00 UTC)
La Chapelle Royale and Collegium Vocale, Orchestre des Champs-Elysées, Philippe Herreweghe
BULGARIA
BNR Hristo Botev
21:00 (19:00 UTC)
Wiener Singverein Choir, Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra, Herbert von Karajan
CROATIA
HRT - HR3
11:00 (10:00 UTC)
HRT Choir and Ivan Goran Kovačić Choir, Zagreb Philharmonic Orchestra, Lorin Maazel
CYPRUS
CBC RIKClassic
16:00 (14:00 UTC)
Swedish Radio Choir and Eric Ericson Chamber Choir, Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra, Claudio Abbado
CZECH REPUBLIC
Czech Radio Vltava
09:20 (08:20 UTC)
Czech Philharmonic Choir and Orchestra, Václav Neumann
Czech Radio D-dur
20:00 (19:00 UTC)
Monteverdi Choir, Orchestre Révolutionaire et Romantique, Sir John Eliot Gardiner
ESTONIA
ERR Klassikaraadio
13:00 (11:00 UTC)
Westminster Abbey Choir, Philadelphia Philharmonic Orchestra, Riccardo Muti
FINLAND
Yle Radio 1
23:10 (21:10 UTC)
City of Birmingham Symphony Choir, Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra, Sakari Oramo
FRANCE
Radio France / France Musique
22:00 (21:00 UTC)
Radio France Choir and Philharmonic Orchestra, Lahav Shani
GEORGIA
GPB Georgian Radio
15:00 (11:00 UTC)
Wiener Singverein Choir, Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra , Herbert von Karajan
GERMANY
Deutschlandfunk Kultur
21:30 (20:30 UTC)
Berlin Radio Choir and Symphony Orchestra, Vladimir Jurowski
BR Klassik
20:05 (19:05 UTC)
Bavarian Radio Choir and Symphony Orchestra, Mariss Jansons
hr2-kultur
20:04 (19:04 UTC)
Arbeitsgemeinschaft der Frankfurter Chöre , Frankfurt Radio Symphony Orchestra, Juraj Valčuha
MDR KLASSIK
10:05 (09:05)
MDR Radio Choir, Leipzig Gewandhaus Choir and Children Choir, Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra, Herbert Blomstedt
MDR KULTUR
10:05 (09:05 UTC)
MDR Radio Choir, Leipzig Gewandhaus Choir and Children Choir, Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra, Herbert Blomstedt
NDR Kultur
20:03 (19:03 UTC)
NDR Vocal Ensemble and WDR Radio Choir Cologne, NDR Radio Philharmonic Orchestra, Andrew Manze
rbb Kultur
Berlin Radio Choir, Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra, Kirill Petrenko
SR2 KulturRadio
10:20 (09:20 UTC)
Bavarian Radio Choir and Symphony Orchestra, Leonard Bernstein
SWR2
20:05 (19:05 UTC)
Gächinger Kantorei, SWR Symphony Orchestra, Roger Norrington
WDR 3
20:04 (19:04 UTC)
Orfeón Donostiarra, WDR Symphony Orchestra, Jukka-Pekka Saraste
GREECE
ERT Trito programma
21:10 (19:10 UTC)
La Capella Reial de Catalunya, Le Concert des Nations, Jordi Savall
HUNGARY
MTVA Bartók Rádió
10:50 (09:50 UTC)
Hungarian Radio Choir and Symphony Orchestra, János Kovács
ICELAND
RUV Rás 1
14:03 (14:03 UTC)
Icelandic Opera Choir, Áskirkja Church Choir, Hljómeyki Chamber Choir and Reykjavík Opera Choir, Iceland Symphony Orchestra, Petri Sakari
IRELAND
RTÉ lyric fm
13:00 (13:00 UTC)
RTÉ Philharmonic Choir, RTÉ National Symphony Orchestra, Nathalie Stutzmann
ITALY
RAI Radio3
20:00 (19:00 UTC)
Swedish Radio Choir and Eric Ericson Chamber Choir, Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra, Claudio Abbado
LATVIA
Latvijas Radio 3 'Klasika'
11:05 (09:05 UTC)
Bavarian Radio Choir and Symphony Orchestra, Mariss Jansons
LITHUANIA
LRT KLASIKA
09:05 (07:05 UTC)
Kaunas State Choir, Lithuanian State Symphony Orchestra, Gintaras Rinkevičius
LUXEMBOURG
radio 100,7
13 March 12:10 (13 March 11:10 UTC)
Berlin Radio Choir and Symphony Orchestra, Vladimir Jurowski
MONTENEGRO
Radio Montenegro
21:20 (20:20 UTC)
Chicago Symphony Chorus and Orchestra, Riccardo Muti
NETHERLANDS
NPO Radio 4
14:00 (13:00 UTC)
Westminster Choir, Philadelphia Orchestra, Riccardo Muti
NEW ZEALAND
RNZ Concert
13:00 (9 March, midnight UTC)
Voices New Zealand Chamber Choir, New Zealand Symphony Orchestra, Edo de Waart
NORWAY
NRK Kultur/Klassisk
19:03 (18:03 UTC)
Oslo Philharmonic Choir and Orchestra, Klaus Mäkelä, conductor
PORTUGAL
RTP Antena 2
21:00 (21:00 UTC)
New National Theatre Chorus, NHK Symphony Orchestra, Pablo Heras-Casado
ROMANIA
Radio România Cultural
11:00 (09:00 UTC)
Romanian Radio Academic Choir and Orchestra, Igor Markevitch
Radio România Muzical
10:00 (08:00 UTC)
Romanian Radio Academic Choir and Orchestra, Igor Markevitch
Radio România News
11:15 (09:15 UTC)
Romanian Radio Academic Choir and Orchestra, Igor Markevitch
SLOVAKIA
RTVS Rádio Devín
20:30 (19:30 UTC)
The Juilliard Chorus, New York Philharmonic Orchestra, Leonard Bernstein
SPAIN
Catalunya Música
09:00 (08:00 UTC)
La Capella Reial de Catalunya, Le Concert des Nations, Jordi Savall
RTVE Radio Clásica
09:30 (08:30 UTC)
MDR Radio Choir, Leipzig Gewandhaus Choir and Children Choir, Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra, Riccardo Chailly
SWITZERLAND
RTS Espace 2
10 :00 (09 :00 UTC)
MDR Radio Choir, Leipzig Gewandhaus Choir and Children Choir, Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra, Riccardo Chailly
SRF 2 Kultur
10:56 (09:56 UTC)
Swedish Radio Choir and Eric Ericson Chamber Choir, Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra, Claudio Abbado
TURKEY
TRT Radio 3
19:00 (16:00 UTC)
Wiener Singverein Choir, Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra, Herbert von Karajan
UKRAINE
USA
YCMPR (Minnesota Public Radio)
20:45 (11 March, 02:45 UTC)
Minnesota Chorale, Minnesota Orchestra, Osmo Vanska
C24 (American Public Media)
09:33 and 20:33 (15:33 and 11 March, 02:33 UTC)
Choir of the Staatsoper Berlin, West-Eastern Divan Orchestra, Daniel Barenboim
WFMT
14:00 (20:00 UTC)
Choir of the Staatsoper Berlin, West-Eastern Divan Orchestra, Daniel Barenboim
CapRadio
18:00 (11 March, 02:00 UTC)
Monteverdi Choir, Orchestre Révolutionaire et Romantique, Sir John Eliot Gardiner
GPB
22:17 (11 March 03:17 UTC)
Atlanta Symphony Orchestra and Chorus, Robert Shaw
KVNO
10:00 (16:00 UTC)
Radio Chorus Leipzig, Radio Chorus, Berlin, Children's Chorus of the Dresden Philharmonic Chorus, Gewandhaus Orchestra, Kurt Masur
NWPB
14:45 (22:45 UTC)
Wiener Singverein Choir, Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra, Herbert von Karajan
WGTE
10:00 (15:00 UTC)
Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra and Chorus, Leonard Bernstein
15:00 (20:00 UTC)
Chorus Pro Musica, Boston Philharmonic, Benjamin Zander
WSHU
on Sunday Baroque
VOX BONA Chamber Choir of Kreuzkirche Bonn, Le Concert des Nations, Jordi Savall
WSMR
10:00 (15:00 UTC)
Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra and Chorus, Leonard Bernstein
WUOL
16:00 (21:00 UTC)
Monteverdi Choir, Orchestre Révolutionaire et Romantique, Sir John Eliot Gardiner
VATICAN
Vatican Radio (Italian)
22 :00 (21 :00 UTC)
Bavarian Radio Choir and Symphony Orchestra, Bernard Haitink
Vatican Radio
09:00 (08:00 UTC) on Portuguese channel
11:30 (10:30 UTC) on all other languages channels
City of Birmingham Symphony Choir, Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra, Sir Simon Rattle
Details
Genre
Year of production
2022