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Support Dmytro's Musical Dream Amidst War

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About ten years ago, my family met two young Ukrainian brothers at a concert for the Ship of Tolerance. The youngest, Dima, carried an instrument that was comically larger than the child himself, but when he played it, the sound was sweet and enchanting.

That concert brought together talented children from many countries, including Ukraine and Russia. Through music, they became fast friends and even amidst the ravages of war, surmounted their differences in a way adults could not.

When the war broke out, we brought Dima to New York so that he could continue his studies in relative peace. He lived with Doug, myself, and our children, joined the New York Youth Symphony, attended LaGuardia High School, studied with one of the best bassoon teachers in the world, Mr. Lenny Hindell, and spent two summers at Interlochen music camp. He learned English and made friends, but in his heart longed for home and family. So last year he returned to Dnipro, hoping the conflict would end. Despite the constant bombardment and shelling around him, he continued to play, and study, and applied and was accepted to the prestigious Royal Conservatory of Music in The Hague. As you will read below, it was the culmination of his longed for dream and hard work but now he finds himself unable to jump the very last hurdle: depositing the required amount of cash in an account that guarantees he can pay his first year's tuition and cover his meager living expenses. By US standards it's not an exorbitant sum. But his parents are both musicians living through the third year of war in Dnipro, and the $5000 we were able to give him is just not enough.

If you can find it in your heart to contribute to the education of this talented young musician, he will repay you in the only way he can - with music, and good will that will hopefully usher in a new era of peace among all of our children.

Thank you from the bottom of our hearts,

Viola Kanevsky and Family

from Dima:
Hi everyone!
My name is Dmytro Tishyn, I am a bassoonist from Dnipro, Ukraine. I was born into a family of musicians. My father, who is also my teacher, is a dedicated bassoonist in Dnipro Philharmonic. My mother is a teacher at a music school, and my older brother is a percussionist, studying in Kyiv Music Academy.
I have been surrounded by music since a very young age. Of course, I had many other hobbies and interests—but I always dreamed of becoming a musician, like my father.
Thanks to the Emilia and Ilya Kabakov Foundation, I had the opportunity to see the world, meet wonderful musicians from other countries, and participate in several "Ship of Tolerance" projects. In this terribly difficult time for my family, we have received tremendous help from the family of Viola Kanevsky and Kabakovs.
When the war in Ukraine broke out in 2022, Viola Kanevsky became my legal guardian and I stayed with her family in New York City for a year and a half. While in New York, I finished the 11th grade of LaGuardia High School, and had the opportunity to attend the Interlochen Arts Camp twice, which had a huge impact on me both as a musician and as a person. I was fortunate to meet and talk with Ilya Kabakov himself. This wonderful family taught me to fear nothing, to be confident in my abilities, and to pursue my goals no matter what.
Throughout the past year, I have worked very hard, winning three international competitions, playing with the Dnipro Philharmonic Symphony Orchestra, and joining the Youth Symphony Orchestra of Ukraine (YsOU). My efforts paid off, and I was accepted into the Royal Conservatoire in The Hague to study with a great bassoon professor Bram van Sambeek.
However, unfortunately, when the goal is so close, we have encountered a huge obstacle that my family is unable to overcome. Over the past 2 years the conservatoire offered a tuition discount for all the Ukrainian students, and we were counting on it, but this year they have stopped offering this option.
Despite all our efforts, my family is currently unable to pay for my education in full. Due to martial law and the full-scale invasion by Russia, we also cannot take out a student loan. That is why I am asking for your support to help me getting a little bit closer to achieving my dream of becoming a professional bassoon player. Thank you so much!

please listen to Dima and his brother perform:
Dmytro Tishyn:

Vladislav Tishyn:


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    Organizer

    Viola Kanevsky
    Organizer
    New York, NY

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