On 4 September, as part of Musikfestival Bern and under the patronage of the Embassy of Ukraine in Switzerland, the I Resistenti concert took place at Bern Cathedral — an evening of contemporary music dedicated to Ukraine, human dignity and the power of resistance.

Three works — Homo narrans by Ukrainian composer Oleksandra Katsalap, Toccata di durezze e ligature by Daniel Glaus, and I Resistenti by Francesco Hoch — conveyed through choir, organ, soloists and video installation what is often impossible to express in words. Through different artistic forms, the audience was given an opportunity to experience what life is like for people in Ukraine: living under constant shelling, facing the pressure of daily danger, uncertainty and loss, while holding on to an unbreakable sense of hope.

A representative of the Embassy of Ukraine in Switzerland delivered welcoming remarks and thanked everyone involved in the creation of the project, as well as the composers and performers, for their solidarity with Ukraine and for bringing the truth of the Ukrainian wartime experience to Swiss audiences through the language of music.

Following the concert, a panel discussion with the composers took place, during which each of them shared the story behind their work and the ideas and meanings conveyed through their music.

One of the most powerful moments of the evening came from Ukrainian composer Oleksandra Katsalap:

“If I have an identity, I don’t need a personality.”

Explaining this thought, she said: “I have an identity. It is this: I am a composer, a Ukrainian composer. I don’t need a personality.”

Her words became one of the evening’s deepest messages — about the strength of Ukrainian identity, which remains unshaken even when war attempts to silence the human voice.