Keri-Lynn Wilson

Biography

Canadian Ukrainian conductor Keri-Lynn Wilson is the founder and Music Director of the highly regarded Ukrainian Freedom Orchestra, formed in response to the Russian invasion and which has toured major cities and festivals in Europe and the United States over the past four summers. As a staunch supporter of Ukrainian liberty, Maestro Wilson performed the Verdi Requiem at the Lviv Opera House in February 2023 to commemorate the one-year anniversary of the invasion and she has returned to Ukraine on numerous occasions since then to lead performances in solidarity.

Maestro Wilson created a new performance version of the “Ode to Joy” in Ukrainian for the Ukrainian Freedom Orchestra’s Beethoven Ninth Freedom Tour during the 2023 and 2024 summers. In this version, “Joy” is changed to “Slava,” the Ukrainian word for “Glory,” the rallying cry for Ukrainian victory. The Ukrainian Freedom Orchestra’s recording of the Beethoven Ninth Symphony was released by Deutsche Grammophon to commemorate the second anniversary of the invasion. Ms. Wilson conducted the Beethoven Ninth in Warsaw in February, 2025, to commemorate the third anniversary of the invasion. The concert was televised live by ARTE across Europe and on a delayed basis by PBS in the United States.