A jazz interpretation of the Ukrainian national anthem marked the beginning of the Kyiv concert of the famous Italian trumpeter Paolo Fresu, who performed accompanied by a quartet of outstanding Italian musicians, the Italian Embassy reported.

"Especially in Ukraine, culture at this stage is a defense of its own identity values. Jazz, as an emblem of freedom, creativity and sustainability, today carries an ideal message about the Ukrainian people's desire for resistance and recovery," said Italian Ambassador to Ukraine Carlo Formosa in his speech at the opening of the concert.

The event was organized by the Italian Embassy and the Italian Institute of Culture in Ukraine. In his welcoming speech, Ukrainian Minister of Culture Mykola Tochytsky called it "a moment of extraordinary cultural and symbolic value, evidence of the exceptional quality of relations between the two countries."

The day before the concert, Fresu and his team held a master class at the Kyiv Conservatory.