The Power of Festival: Ottawa Chamberfest Welcomes Odesa Classics in Historic North American Debut
- Ottawa Festival Network
- 2 hours ago
- 3 min read
JUNE 11, 2026 — OTTAWA, ON — This July, Ottawa will host a cultural event of profound international significance as Odesa Classics, Ukraine’s celebrated international music festival, makes its North American debut as part of Ottawa’s Chamberfest 2026 summer festival.
Odesa Classics was founded in 2015 by acclaimed pianist Alexey Botvinov and quickly became one of Europe’s leading classical music festivals. Each summer it welcomed globally renowned artists and orchestras to Odesa, the historic Ukrainian city regarded as the ‘pearl of the Black Sea’.
Following Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, the festival, like roughly one third of Ukraine’s population, was forced from its home — but it did not disappear. Instead, Odesa Classics continued across Europe, presenting more than 60 concerts in seven countries as a powerful act of cultural resilience and artistic solidarity.
Now, for the first time, the festival arrives in Canada.
On July 25, Ottawa Chamberfest and Odesa Classics will present Odesa Classics: Festival in Exile at the Carleton Dominion-Chalmers Centre. The multi-faceted all-Ukrainian program includes works by Poleva, Karamanov, and Barvinsky, as well as the North American premiere of Valentyn Silvestrov’s new piano trio. It brings together Ukrainian artists, including Alexey Botvinov and soprano Anna Pompeeva, alongside Ukrainian-Canadian artists Carissa Klopoushak and Roman Borys, and Canadian artists Annalee Patipatanakoon, Jamie Parker, Emily Kruspe, Sam Loeck, and Brett Polegato.
The evening concludes with Skoryk’s Melody in A Minor, performed alongside displaced Ukrainian musicians now living in the Outaouais region — a closing tribute to longing, loss, and endurance.
Extending beyond the concert hall, Odesa Classics’ presence at Chamberfest will unfold throughout the festival week with community programming including a pre-concert Chamber Chat and a special late-night Chamberfringe performance by Daughters of Donbas on July 31.
The Power of Festival
Odesa Classics: Festival in Exile is more than a festival presentation. It is a powerful demonstration of how festivals can serve as cultural infrastructure in times of crisis—bringing communities together, amplifying shared stories, and fostering resilience in the face of profound adversity.
This initiative reflects Canada’s deep and enduring relationship with Ukraine. Home to more than 1.4 million Canadians of Ukrainian heritage, Canada has welcomed over 200,000 displaced Ukrainians since 2022 while continuing to support Ukraine politically, militarily, and socially.
For Ottawa Festival Network, the collaboration demonstrates the vital role festivals play in preserving and celebrating culture, uniting people of different backgrounds, languages and generations, and fostering resilience during times of uncertainty and division.
"Festivals are among the most powerful spaces we have — where strangers become neighbours, and shared experiences remind us of our common humanity. Welcoming Odesa Classics to Ottawa is a testament to what cultural partnership can do: build bridges across distance, deepen civic life, and affirm that music & art, in even the most uncertain times, unites us," says Tara Shannon, Executive Director of Ottawa Festival Network.
At a moment when unity and global connection are at the forefront of public conversation, this festival collaboration offers a deeply resonant example of how festivals can bring people together and foster resilience and hope in the face of profound adversity.
About Odesa Classics
About Odesa Classics: Founded in 2015 by Alexey Botvinov, Odesa Classics is a festival of the highest artistic caliber.
Odesa, often referred to as the pearl of the Black Sea, proudly hosted the Odesa Classics music festival every June from 2015 to 2021. Right from its inception, the festival enjoyed immense success as the leading Ukrainian festival and swiftly secured its place on the European festival map. It featured world-renowned classical music stars such as Daniel Hope, Yevgeny Kissin, Pinchas Zukerman, Joshua Bell, Maxim Wengerov, Mischa Maisky, Matthias Goerne, and Thomas Hampson, along with orchestras from Zurich, Berlin, Brussels, and many other cities.
However, the war brought significant changes, making it impossible to hold a large-scale international festival in Ukraine since 2022. Adaptively, the Odesa Classics found a new temporary home in Europe, where it continued to thrive. Between 2022 and 2025, the festival successfully held more than 60 concerts across seven countries: Switzerland, Estonia, Greece, Germany, Belgium, Poland, and Lithuania.
In 2024, the Odesa Classics celebrated its 10th anniversary. In 2025, Odesa Classics hosted editions in Greece, Germany, Estonia and Switzerland.
Event Details
Odesa Classics: Festival in Exile
Saturday, July 25, 7:00PM
Carleton Dominion-Chalmers Centre
355 Cooper Street, Ottawa, ON
Links to Learn More:
For tickets and information, visit: https://www.chamberfest.com/event/2026/odesa-classics-festival-in-exile/
Odesa Classics: https://odessaclassics.com/
Ottawa Chamberfest: https://chamberfest.com/about/
Ottawa Festival Network: https://ottawafestivals.ca
Media Contacts:
Tara Shannon
Executive Director
Ottawa Festival Network
Carissa Klopoushak
Artistic Director
Ottawa Chamberfest
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