Five Yamaha Musical Instruments Arrive at Odesa Opera House in Wartime Ukraine

What Employees in Dubai Feel About Coordinating Donation

In September 2024, a delivery of Yamaha musical instruments arrived safely at the Odesa National Academic Opera and Ballet Theatre, which continues to operate and host performances even during times of war. The musical instruments included two Handmade Flutes, two Custom Oboes, and one marimba. These instruments were donated to the theatre in response to a request for aid, sparked by difficulties purchasing and maintaining musical instruments due to the effects of the prolonged conflict. Odesa Opera musicians responded with words of joy, communicating their determination to continue sharing music with audiences, even during times of war.

[Main Visual] Musicians of the Odessa Opera House playing the instruments they received

Messages from Odesa Opera Musicians

Principal Flute, Kyrylo Ustynovskyi: “I quickly bonded with the flute, and I'm confident that its brilliant sound will delight both my fellow musicians and our audiences.”

Principal Oboe, Ivan Chumachenko: “Thanks to the instrument’s accurate intonation, the embouchure doesn't get tired even during long, continuous playing. The sound is excellent in both piano and forte. I can say that my dream has come true — the quality of the instrument has exceeded my expectations.”

Principal Percussionist, Svyatoslav Yanchuk: “I want to express immense gratitude to Yamaha for the wonderful professional series marimba. Thanks to your donation, we also have a wonderful instrument that will bring joy to us and our grateful audiences.”

The donation efforts, from selection of the musical instruments to their delivery, were coordinated by Yamaha Music Gulf FZE (YMGF), a sales subsidiary located in Dubai that oversees the Eastern Europe region. The YMGF employee who handled contact with the Odesa Opera was himself a Ukrainian who lost his own home to war approximately ten years prior. Here we share reflections from him and other Dubai staff members, along with insight into Yamaha’s continued efforts to support music culture in a region at war.

[Photo] Two Yamaha Music Gulf staff members who worked hard to donate musical instruments

Leveraging Experience and Connections as a Former Professional Musician

A national symbol. A piece of musical and architectural heritage. A truly special place. The words Illya Fedorak chose to describe the Odesa Opera clearly convey his deep respect for the location. Illya, who helped coordinate the donation of musical instruments, previously played trumpet professionally as part of an esteemed Ukrainian symphony orchestra.

[Photo] Illya Fedorak recalls his time as a professional musician in Ukraine.
Illya Fedorak recalls his time as a professional musician in Ukraine.

“I felt a sense of great pride and joy when it was decided we would be sending instruments to the Odesa Opera. I’ve known some of the musicians there for a long time — I even studied with some of them in university — and I was confident I would be able to leverage my experience and connections gained during my time as a musician.”

Ten years ago, at the age of 28, Illya left Donetsk, a city in the eastern part of Ukraine that was also his home and base of musical activities. His departure was sparked by intensification of the war in Donbas, shortly after it began in 2014. He began working at YMGF in 2017 and has been involved in sales of wind, string and percussion instruments, as well as efforts to support music schools in Ukraine with trumpet donations.

Illya was excited by the opportunity to help support an esteemed opera house working to keep the flame of music burning in his struggling homeland.

“The Odesa Opera has long been a symbol of music in Ukraine. I was blown away by how impressive it was when I visited as a student. I was delighted to be able to contribute, even just a bit, to restoring hope and good music to this amazing opera house.”

Regional Struggles Force Musicians to Become Soldiers

[Photo] Konstantin Sivakovskiy was tasked with deciding how to deliver the goods.
Konstantin Sivakovskiy was tasked with deciding how to deliver the goods.

Illya used a messaging app to communicate with an opera house manager and gain an understanding of their needs. He then coordinated the donation of musical instruments based on that understanding. At the beginning of their exchanges, he received a lengthy list of requested instruments. The sheer number of instruments on the list made it clear how much the opera house was struggling. During discussions with musicians he already knew there, Illya also learned that many musicians had been forced to put down their instruments and take up arms. Even one of the Odesa Opera ballet dancers had joined the war and died on the frontline.

“There are so many things that are not in our power to change. That’s why we need to do our very best to make improvements wherever we can.”

Illya selected the musical instruments that were a top priority and began working with other Yamaha Group companies to ready products for donation. However, the largest hurdle of the project still remained — choosing the best option for delivery and clearing customs.

Two Wars Make Delivery Difficult

The Israel–Hamas war broke out in the fall of 2023, just as project members had shifted to discussing the details of the donations. The effects of this were huge. They would no longer be able to use the Suez Canal, which was the shortest route between Dubai and Odesa. On top of that, blockades in the Black Sea obstructed access to Ukrainian ports. Illya and his colleagues worked tirelessly gathering information before finally deciding on a sea route that would traverse South Africa’s Cape of Good Hope and then pass through Romania before reaching Ukraine.

The next hurdle would be clearing customs. Importing the musical instruments as donated goods would require careful consideration, especially during wartime. Konstantin Sivakovskiy is a YMGF employee from Uzbekistan who helped Illya coordinate the musical instrument donation by overseeing delivery procedures. Konstantin recalls, “We had to be careful about which delivery option we chose, because we wanted Odesa Opera to be free from any unnecessary taxes.”

They were leaning toward collaborating with a domestic Ukrainian distributor at first, but had to abandon that idea. After that, they tried coordinating with a charity fund that provides support in war zones. However, this option too had to be abandoned.

After continuing to search for other options, with the help of industry experts, they decided that the best choice would be for the opera house to process and receive the donation directly from Yamaha. With the details finally decided after several false starts, the products shipped out on July 11, 2024. The five musical instruments finally arrived in Odesa after a long journey that lasted around three months.

[Photo] Odesa Opera musicians are all smiles when the instruments finally arrive.
Odesa Opera musicians are all smiles when the instruments finally arrive.

The Muses Never Remain Silent!

Printed on the certificate of donation was “The muses never remain silent!” This special message was inspired by the slogan of the Odesa National Academic Opera and Ballet Theatre and symbolizes the indomitable spirit of the opera house, with a history that extends over 200 years.

Illya recalls being struck once again by the spirit of the opera house, which continues to keep music culture alive in his homeland.

“Many cultural institutions in Ukraine have been severely damaged. Some music institutions have even been completely destroyed by missiles. But despite all of this, Ukrainian musicians continue to play. They continue to tour, playing their instruments and spreading the spirit of our music.”

An impassioned Illya continued:

“This project — this donation of musical instruments — reminded me of the true value of our work. Because Yamaha is not just about selling instruments. It’s also about supporting the people who make a living with music.”

[Photo] A special message on the certificate of donation: “The muses never remain silent!”
A special message on the certificate of donation: “The muses never remain silent!”