My weapon is music: Ukrainian pianist to take the stage at Eurovision event

A Ukrainian pianist who fled her home with her young daughter and a suitcase is to use her instrument as a “weapon” to showcase the spirit of her country over a year later at a Eurovision event. Daria Golovchenko, who is in her 30s and seeking full-time employment as a pianist, fled her home in Kherson in April 2022 with her then two-year-old daughter Sophia, before arriving in the UK later that same month to stay with her host, Rachel Balen, a retired university lecturer. Just over a year later, she is to perform a set of Ukrainian pieces as well as classic hits including Hit The Road Jack at the Piece Hall in Halifax on Saturday – the same day as the song contest’s grand final – in a bid to showcase Ukrainian culture.