A UKRAINIAN refugee who fled her home with just her young daughter and a suitcase has made it to the final of The Piano.
It comes after she was discovered when the Channel 4 show visited Scotland.
Daria Golovchenko impressed judges and commuters with her stunning playing at Waverley Station in Edinburgh.
The talented pianist was forced to leave her home in Kherson in April 2022 with her then two-year-old daughter after fearing for their lives following Russia’s invasion.
She has now settled in the UK and said her piano playing had made her feel strong again.
On tonight’s episode of The Piano, Daria, who is in her thirties, was the last contestant who turned at Waverley Station.
She performed a rendition of ‘Libertango’ by Italian composer Astor Piazzolla.
She was selected for the final of the reality series, presented by Claudia Winkleman, by singer-songwriter Mika and Chinese pianist Lang Lang, who are the show’s judges.
Before the war the piano was just an instrument to me but here it helped me to be myself. I can speak through the piano. I feel confident, powerful and very happy
Daria Golovchenko
After being told the news, Daria said: “I couldn’t imagine I would be here when I was in Ukraine.
“It’s so emotional because it means what I’m playing is not an empty thing.
“People can hear what I want to say through the piano.
“When I first came to the UK it was very difficult.
“I started playing the piano again and it was like a dancer who didn’t dance for a long time.
“Before the war the piano was just an instrument to me but here it helped me to be myself.
“I can speak through the piano. I feel confident, powerful and very happy.”
It was the most difficult decision of my life to leave my family, to leave my hometown, to leave Ukraine
Daria Golovchenko
Describing her decision to leave home, she added: “War started and all our lives changed completely.
“The airport was just 10km from my house and it was bombed every single day.
“I had a child and we didn’t have food, no nappies, no medication.
“To get things that my daughter needed to survive I had to walk through the train station and on the roof of that train station there was a sniper.
“It was our daily life. I was so scared.
“It was the most difficult decision of my life to leave my family, to leave my hometown, to leave Ukraine.”
Daria, who started playing piano at the age of five, will now perform at a concert in Manchester where the winner of The Piano will be chosen.
Joining her will be 10-year-old Sum who was also selected by the judges for his performance of Haydn’s Sonata in D major.
He moved to Edinburgh with his family from Hong Kong two years ago.
