When Music Becomes a Refuge
July 15–29, 2026 | Lithuania
For most children, summer means freedom. For many children from Kharkiv, Ukraine, summer still carries the reality of war.
For the third consecutive year, the Vilnius International Rotary Club and the Kharkiv-City Rotary Club are working together to create something extraordinary: two weeks where approximately 40 young musicians can step away from the stresses of war and immerse themselves in music, friendship, learning, and hope.
The Peace • Music • Freedom program brings students and teachers from the Kharkiv State Music Lyceum to Lithuania for intensive music study, ensemble rehearsals, cultural exchange, and public performances. But what makes this program special is not simply the music.
It is the opportunity for these young people to reconnect with classmates, build new friendships, experience safety, and remember what it feels like to simply be children.
More Than a Music Program
Music is often described as a universal language. In this program, it becomes something even more powerful.
Music becomes a bridge. A refuge. A source of resilience. A reminder that even in difficult circumstances, beauty, creativity, and hope can still flourish.
The students who participate are not defined by the war around them. They are violinists, singers, pianists, composers, dreamers, and future leaders. Through their performances, they share not only their talents, but also their courage and determination.
Hear From the Participants
Over the past two summers, students, teachers, host families, Rotarians, and community members have witnessed the transformative impact of Peace • Music • Freedom.
The video below captures reflections from participants whose lives have been touched by this remarkable program.
A Personal Connection
In 2025, American-Lithuanian soprano and Rotarian Jūratė Švedaitė joined the students during the gala concert in Vilnius. Performing alongside these young musicians offered a firsthand glimpse into the profound impact of the program. What emerged was far more than a concert. It was a celebration of resilience, friendship, and the enduring power of music to unite people across borders and circumstances.
Those experiences helped inspire the creation of Opus for Peace, a growing initiative dedicated to identifying and supporting projects around the world that use music and storytelling to foster healing, understanding, and peace.
How You Can Help
The organizers are currently seeking support to make the 2026 program possible.
Funding commitments are needed before or around June 30, 2026, to allow travel and program arrangements to move forward.
Your support helps provide:
- Safe accommodations
- Meals and transportation
- Music instruction and rehearsal facilities
- Performance opportunities
- Cultural exchange experiences
- Two weeks of peace, friendship, and hope
Most importantly, your support helps ensure that these young people have an opportunity to make music, make friends, and simply be kids.
Learn More
If you would like to support Peace • Music • Freedom 2026, sponsor a participant, connect the project with a Rotary club or district, or explore partnership opportunities, please contact us.
Together, we can help transform days of sirens into days of song.
“When words fail, music speaks.”