First person: Ukrainian violinist Valeriy Sokolov on performing while his homeland is destroyed

His home city of Kharkiv in ruins, a great musician plays on

A fortnight ago I performed Tchaikovsky's Violin Concerto with the Aurora Orchestra, joining them and their Principal Conductor Nicholas Collon in Cologne. Tonight we shall present the same programme at the Royal Festival Hall. These are my first appearances with Aurora and as a Ukrainian, I feel so grateful that even during a terrible time like this, I can continue making music. The situation in my homeland feels so overwhelming that getting on with music right now is the best thing to do for now, at least mentally.

Album: Vadim Neselovskyi - Odesa: A Musical Walk Through a Legendary City

★★★★ VADIM NESELOVSKYI - ODESA A poignant and superbly achieved solo piano album

A poignant and superbly achieved solo piano album

Odesa (Sunnyside) is a deeply-felt and wonderfully played solo piano album with a massive emotional and stylistic compass. New York-based composer/pianist Vadim Neselovskyi has made a strong statement in homage to the city by the Black Sea where he was born, and to its unique cultural and musical heritage.

Dance for Ukraine, London Coliseum, online review - a gala to remember

★★★★ DANCE FOR UKRAINE, LONDON COLISEUM Charity effort demonstrates dancers' engagement with the world

Swiftly-assembled charity effort demonstrates dancers' engagement with the world

What do top ballet dancers keep permanently in their back pocket? Answer: a fully rehearsed, ready-to-go gala item, to judge by a one-off fundraising  event mounted in double-quick time at the Coliseum last month and now available to stream, raising more funds for the DEC Ukraine Humanitarian Appeal.

Bournemouth SO, Karabits, Lighthouse, Poole – let there be light and joy

★★★★★ BOURNEMOUTH SO, KARABITS, LIGHTHOUSE, POOLE Let there be light and joy

Ukrainian principal conductor takes Sibelius's symphony of liberation to the edge

Returning to his Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra for the first time since the crisis began in his home country, Kirill Karabits’ arrival on stage was greeted by the entire Lighthouse audience rising to their feet with loud applause and cheers of support.

Russians and friends play on for Ukraine

Who's doing what, with focus on a fundraiser from Pavel Kolesnikov and Samson Tsoy

National sensitivities are running understandably high right now in the thick of an ever-escalating aggression. What a shame that the Southbank Centre has excluded Russian artists from performing alongside British and Ukrainian performers to bring a message of peace through the arts in their upcoming fundraiser. Not so "Dance for Ukraine" at the London Coliseum, including Natalia Osipova in its line-up.

‘Slava Ukraini!’: Russian musicians worldwide show solidarity

'SLAVA UKRAINI!' Russian musicians worldwide show solidarity

Ukrainian anthem performed in concerts everywhere is only the start of musical support

“You are told that we hate Russian culture,” President Zelenskyy of Ukraine informed Russians, using their language, in a speech for the ages just before the invasion, “But how can a culture be hated? Any culture? Neighbours are always enriching each other culturally. But that does not make them one entity, and does not separate people into ‘us’ and ‘them’ “.

GogolFest:Dream review - the best music festival of the summer?

★★★★ GOGOLFEST:DREAM The best music festival of the summer?

A socially-distanced festival of new music and head-banging Nova Opera in Kherson

GogolFest:Dream in Kherson, somewhere near the Crimea in Ukraine was the music festival of the summer. Admittedly, in my case and for many, having missed out on WOMAD, Glastonbury, Fez, and others it was the only festival of the summer, and the bar didn’t have to that high to satisfy a festival junkie in need of a fix.

Maria Reva: Good Citizens Need Not Fear review - tales of gloomy humour and absurdist charm

MARIA REVA: GOOD CITIZENS NEED NOT FEAR Inventive short stories

Inventive short stories capture Soviet and post-Soviet Ukraine with a surrealist squint

Maria Reva’s humorously gloomy debut collection, centring on the inhabitants of a block of stuffy apartments in Soviet (and post-Soviet) Ukraine, starts, predictably enough, with Lenin. Instead of an austere symbol of ideology, he’s a statue who “squinted into the smoggy distance.

Filmmaker Agnieszka Holland: 'Without journalism, democracy will not survive'

FILMMAKER AGNIESZKA HOLLAND 'Without journalism, democracy will not survive'

'Mr Jones' director discusses why she's fascinated by Europe's darkest hours

Agnieszka Holland is one of Europe's leading filmmakers. Growing up in Poland under Soviet rule, her films have often tackled the continent's complex history, including the Academy Award-nominated Europa, Europa, In Darkness and Angry Harvest. In America, she's become a trusted hand for prestige television, with credits on The Wire, House of Cards and The Killing. Her latest film, Mr.