The McKinney Philharmonic Orchestra is asking the community to support their concertmaster from Ukraine. Violinist Marina Dichenko studied at TCU and lives in North Texas teaching violin, playing for weddings and other events and performing with the orchestra. She is performing a solo piece from composer John Williams from the movie Schindlers' List at a performance on Saturday.
Dichenko told NBC 5 she selected the music before the war started, but it's eerily fitting.
"I'm thinking how human life is very important and fragile," Dichenko said.
She shared photos of her family in their hometown of Kharkiv during happier times. She said her father is still there and that her mother and grandmother can't leave their flat due to her grandmother's health. She said they still have internet access and she's able to check on them regularly.
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Not only is she worried about their safety as their city remains under attack, Dichenko said she is disheartened and frustrated over disinformation. She said she studied in Russia for a decade, her son's father is Russian and that she and her friends and family in Russia have lived in harmony until the recent attacks.
Despite that, she said many of her loved ones in Russia appear to be in denial about the realities of war. She said some of her Russian friends are being blocked from the truth and believe their military is helping to save Ukrainians.
"We want them to see that to understand that we are not enemies. We are their brothers," she said.
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"They have to stop fire immediately. They have to. In a house, there are no army in the houses there. It's people, it's mothers. It's my mom, my grandma, kids, you know," Dichenko said, calling for peace.
Dichenko is grateful for her friends who are aware of the truth and risking their safety to protest and the support Ukrainians are receiving from people from Poland and other countries.
Saturday's concert is at the McKinney Boyd High School Auditorium, learn more here.
