Mr Botvinov is visiting Australia thanks to Opera Australia conductor and arts entrepreneur Vladimir Fanshil, who was also born in Ukraine’s cultural hub of Odessa
Mr Botvinov is living in exile in Switzerland, and has raised one and a half million dollars so far for his war-torn country by performing across Europe and through his international music festivals ‘Odessa Classics’
As a former artistic director of the Odessa National Opera Theatre, Mr Botvinov says while many artists have fled Ukraine, performances by those who remain are often cancelled or cut short.
Concert tour organiser Vladimir Fanshil says by supporting Ukrainian artists like Alexy Botvinov, Australians can play their part.
