b'It is very difficult financially and risky artistically to program music that is outside of the standard classical musical canon. The Orchestre classique de Montral, deeply appreciative of the rich musical traditions of Ukraine, wanted to share this incredible music with the Montral public, a public that despite the cultural richness of Montral, does not often get the chance to hear works by geniuses like Myroslav Skoryk, Mykola Lysenko, or contemporary Ukrainian-Canadian composer Larysa Kuzmenko. Our concert Echoes of the Steppes, presented in February 2022 just a week before the war began, was so well-received that the OCM was invited to present the concert once again, this time in Ottawa as part of the Music and Beyond Festival in July 2022, sharing Ukrainian classical music with a new public. Without the support of the Shevchenko Foundation and its generous donors, we would not have been able to take this successful financial and artistic risk. We are grateful to count them as a partner in helping us share the beauty and richness of Ukrainian culture across all of Canada.-ALEX KOUTELIAS Manager of Development and Operations Orchestre classique de Montral8SHEVCHENKO FOUNDATION ANNUAL REPORT / SHEVCHENKO FOUNDATION ANNUAL REPORT /9'