Ukrainian Bandura Christmas Festival in Sacramento, California

Ukrainian Bandura Christmas Festival in Sacramento, California

December 20, 2003 at 6:00 PM
Ukrainian Mission Center
8985 Central Ave.
Orangevale 95662

Participants: Учасники програми:

	Children Bandura Ensemble of Ukrainian Heritage School, dir. Ola Herasymenko Дитячий ансамбль бандуристів Школи українознавства м. Сакраменто, кер. Оля Герасименко Julia Derkach, Olha Romaso, Lydia Tomkiv, Martha Romaso, Elina Leshchynsky, Irina Tyshkevich, Olena Markiv and Dmytro Markiv.

	Bandura Ensemble of Ukrainian Protestant Churches of Sacramento, dir. Alina Ilchuk Ансамбль бандуристок українських протестантських церков м. Сакраменто, кер. Аліна Ільчук

	Ukrainian Ensemble of Khashchuk Family, soloist Volodymyr Savenko Український ансамбль родини Хащуків, соліст Володимир Савенко

	Bandura Instrumental Trio (Olha Shevchyk - flute, Lesya Sokolovych - violin and Ola Herasymenko - bandura) with the soloist Ivanna Taratula, San Francisco Солістка Іванна Таратула з Сан Франціско виступає під акомпанемент інструментального тріо - Ольга Шевчик (флейта), Леся Соколович (скрипка), Оля Герасименко (бандура)

	Ukrainian Heritage School the Youngest Bandura Ensemble Дитячий ансамбль бандуристів Школи українознавства, керівник Оля Герасименко - виступають наймолодші учасники Andriy Neroda, Michail Hnatyshyn, Nadia and Liuba Klymenko

Organizer - a member from Ukrainian Heritage Club of Northern California Ola Herasymenko Oliynyk-bandurist, born in Lviv, Ukraine, is the first professional bandurist to have been featured as a soloist with American symphony orchestras. Together with her husband, composer and pianist Yuriy Oliynyk, she has performed Ukrainian music throughout North America. Her repertoire includes works of Bach, Handel, Vivaldi, and Bortniansky among others. Prior to settling in the United States, she performed in and directed a bandura trio that toured Europe and Japan. Mrs. Oliynyk received her Bachelor’s degree at the Lviv Lysenko Conservatory and her Master’s at the Tchaikovsky Conservatory in Kyiv. Her instrument was custom built by her father, Professor Vasyl Herasymenko. His concert banduras are highly sought by musicians in Ukraine and abroad.

Our mailing address is:
5253 Glancy Drive
Carmichael, CA 95608-5458 E-mail address: bandura.ca@att.net
Fax: (916) 482-4706
Telephone: (916) 761-8392

T h e   B a n d u r a     The Bandura is a unique Ukrainian musical instrument that dates back to the 7th century. Originally is was used for accompaniment of epic folk ballads and occasional folk dances. It became immensely popular between the 15th and 18th centuries when traveling musicians, called Kobzars, entertained in towns and villages of Ukraine, while singing about the exploits of the Kozaks (Ukrainian warriors). Over the years, the bandura acquired more and more strings and became a fully chromatic concert instrument with switches for changing tonalities.
    The Bandura is taught as a solo and ensemble instrument in all music schools and conservatories. During the Soviet-Russian occupation of Ukraine, the bandura fell into disfavor because it was the carrier of Ukrainian national history and culture, which according to the communist master plan was to be submerged into a single Russian mainstream.
    According to the memoirs of the famous Russian composers Dmitry Shostakovich, most of the bandurists in Ukraine were lured to an official congress of folk music in the mid. 30’s and subsequently shot and buried in a secret grave never to be heard of again. Some day, says Shostakovich, the people who were responsible for these evil deeds will be brought to account. The bandura survived the years of Russian domination in Ukraine only as a classical instrument upon which the works of Bach, Mozart, and other classical composers were performed. Since Ukraine regained its independence in 1991, the revival of the folk traditions with epic folk ballads is in progress and the bandura has regained its prominent place as a Ukrainian national instrument.
    Ola Herasymenko performs on an instrument custom built by her father Vasyl Herasymenko. It is equipped with 65 strings spanning almost 5 octaves.

Ukrainian Ensemble of Classical Music
Український ансамбль класичної музики
Ola Herasymenko – bandura, Olha Shevchyk – flute, Lesya Sokolovych – first violin

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Last Updated: August 12, 2004