Speaking to reporters before the concert, Seivewright emphasized that Western musicians always enjoy working with their Russian counterparts.
"First of all, I am here as a musician; for me personally, the great thing is to work with the wonderful musicians. Always in the West, we like to work with the Russian musicians, because the Russian musicians are always the best."
At the same time, the pianist did not shy away from showing support for the self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic, which declared its autonomy from Kiev following the 2014 Maidan coup d'état. "I am also very happy to support the work of your new republic. It's a new young republic, and an exciting time for you. So it is a great privilege for me…", he noted.
Seivewright astonished local reporters in his response to a question about whether he expected any problems from British authorities for visiting Donetsk. He explained that he doesn't expect any difficulties, "but if I do have difficulties, I will let you know and I will come and live here."
"I am delighted by Donetsk. But most of all I was struck by the fact that in spite of the war, the city has a philharmonic, and that theaters, museums and libraries work as normal, and are visited by large numbers of people. It is wonderful to see the residents of Donetsk being drawn toward beauty."
During the concert, Seivewright played classical pieces, as well as several of his own compositions. The concert hall was full, with audience members sitting on extra chairs and standing in the aisles. The musician received calls for an encore and got a standing ovation.
Seivewright noted that he intends to conduct master classes for students of the Donetsk Musical Academy, and to record a CD with the Donetsk Philharmonic Orchestra.
Peter Seivewright was born in Skipton, England, and studied music at Oxford and the Royal Northern College of Music in Manchester. Having performed solo concerts in Western Europe, the United States, Australia, China, India, Vietnam and Kuwait, the pianist has also participated in concerts with the world's leading orchestras.
