New York Times: Best Classical Music Performances of 2022

Ukrainian Freedom Orchestra

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine is a true culture war; Russia is seeking not just land but also the erasure of a nation’s artistic output and history. The brave soldiers fighting against that include the members of this pickup orchestra (which toured this summer under the assured baton of the conductor Keri-Lynn Wilson) and the Odesa Philharmonic, which traveled to Berlin for an inspiring performance in September. Throughout the year, powerful performances of Russian music — like a savagely colorful revival of Shostakovich’s “Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk” at the Met this fall, with Wilson on the podium — gave the lie to Putinists’ claim that their country’s culture has been canceled in the West.