Hnat Khotkevych Ukrainian Bandurist Ensemble
Encyclopedia
The Hnat Khotkevych Ukrainian Bandurist Ensemble is a vocal and instrumental Ukrainian folkloric performing ensemble in Sydney
, Australia
. It was founded in June 1964 by bandurist
Hryhory Bazhul and since May 1971 was directed by Peter Deriashnyj
.
At the end of World War II
, bandurist Hryhory Bazhul emigrated to Sydney, Australia where he continued to perform for the Ukrainian community. Having had performing success in a number of bandura
ensembles in Germany during the post war years (1944–49), he was keen to establish a similar ensemble in Sydney where he had settled on completion of his immigrant contract.
In 1952, Bazhul advertised in the The Free Thought
Ukrainian-language newspaper in an attempt to locate like-minded individuals. Two years later he befriended vocalist Pavlo Stetsenko and began to teach him to play bandura. Over the next 4–5 years another six individuals joined the group and began to develop a bandura technique and repertoire.
In time, this group of singer-bandurists began performing, initially in Sydney, and then in Melbourne to enthusiastic audiences. To mark the 100th anniversary of Taras Shevchenko
death the group gave a series of concerts in Sydney and Melbourne and also produced a recording of four songs from their repertoire.
By 1963, after some 39 rehearsals (2-3 per month), five individuals of adult age and various levels of musical and vocal ability worked diligently to create a 17-song repertoire. This group had to overcome numerous difficulties related to the establishment of a bandurist ensemble in Australia, such as: manufacturing instruments; the procurement of suitable strings; tuning pegs and tuning keys. All these posed insurmountable problems. The development of repertoire was also an obstacle since no one in the group had suitable experience in arranging vocal works, as was the problem of duplication of musical scores. Repertoire collected by Bazhul from various sources was initially used and gradually all the other problems were overcome by sheer effort, which testifies to the tenacity of this ensemble and its founder. Then unexpectedly personal difficulties saw some of the members leave and now finding itself vocally incomplete the quintet ceased its activities in February 1964.
Hryhory Bazhul turned to the younger generation and in June 1964 he began to teach the first younger generation student - George Work, the Kharkiv style bandura. Gradually more young individuals of student age took to learning the difficult art of the bandura minstrels. The attrition rate however for the young inductees was high since there was no peer group to take encouragement and inspiration from.
With the support of the Ukrainian Scouting movement and the conductor of the Ukrainian Choir Boyan - Vasyl Matiash, young scouts began to learn to play the instrument privately and a new generation of bandurists formed the Khotkevych Ensemble. In time the small group made numerous independent performances and also on many occasions accompanied the Boyan Choir under the direction of Vasyl Matiash. The new youth ensemble also included female participants.
By 1970 some 19 students had embarked on learning the art, however a core group of some 7 students remained and became known as the Hnat Khotkevych
Bandurist Ensemble. They became the backbone of the Ensemble for the next few years. Hnat Khotkevych had taught Hryhory Bazhul to play the Kharkiv style bandura back in Ukraine, and as a mark of respect Bazhul chose to give this new ensemble Khotkevych's name.
As the group's popularity grew, the Ensemble became the moving force for the development of bandura art in Australia. It became evident that a formal school for learning bandura art in an central location with easy access to public transport needed to be established. Up until 1968 most new students were taught privately by Hryhory Bazhul at his residence in Fairfield West.
of bandura.
Deriashnyj joined Bazhul's small group of 5 bandurists in November 1967 and encouraged the existing members to include vocal study into the weekly practice routine. H. Bazhul supported this proposal and elevated him to concertmaster
. His first act was to bring all instruments to a concert standard by the renewal of old or rusting strings and repairing of cracked instruments. Throughout 1968 the group worked diligently at combining 4 part vocals accompanied to their own bandura playing. A specific concert repertoire was selected and new bandura parts were written with a mind to the development of vocal and instrumental skills.
Their first independent concert took place in March 1969 in Wollongong, and was dedicated to the Ukrainian bard Taras Shevchenko
. This concert was later repeated in Sydney. The new repertoire including the vocal performance of the Ensemble had an effect on the young Ukrainians in the audience and under Deriashnyj's direction the group attracted talented individuals and continued to expand its repertoire and playing technique. Challenging 4 part (SATB) choral vocals accompanied by 4 bandura parts - 1st and 2nd Kharkiv banduras and 1st and 2nd Chernihiv banduras became the norm.
From 1970 the ensemble toured the eastern states in Australia continually performing at community functions, historic anniversaries and numerous folkloric and ethnic festivals throughout Australia. In March 1971, ten bandurists with bassist Oless Tindyk gave an important concert in Newcastle dedicated to the bard Taras Shevchenko
. At this concert a men's group and a women's group each performed 3 songs from their new repertoire as well as combining for the full ensemble performance - 14 items. The one negative issue to be exposed was a serious disagreement between the performing members as to who had voting rights in financial or performance matters. Of the many festivals the ensemble took part in, the most renowned was the Shell National Folkloric Festival
held in the Sydney Opera House
- from approx. 1976 to late 1980s when eventually the festival ceased activities. the Ensemble's performances at the National Folkloric Festival were enhanced by the participation of its inter-state members.
In 1972, with donations received from caroling during the Christmas period and from individuals throughout Australia, Deriashnyj established the Sydney School of Bandura which was located at the Ukrainian Central School in Lidcombe. The funds were used to buy 3 or 4 banduras which were then used to introduce the 10-15 year old generation to the art of bandura. Students of the School of Bandura were able to study in both the Kharkiv style
and the Chernihiv style however since Kharkiv banduras were difficult to obtain and more expensive to produce, the more plentiful and relatively inexpensive Chernihiv type banduras began to predominate. The Sydney School of Bandura however was the only one in the diaspora
to teach and propagate the Kharkiv style
.
With due consideration for his state of health, Bazhul transferred the leadership of the Ensemble to bandurist Peter Deriashnyj in May 1971. This change did not sit well with some of the bandurists that were still wrestling with membership voting issues, let alone accept a new leader, the result being that the Ensemble lost four experienced members in that year. The new Ensemble, showing so much promise found itself vocally incomplete - at this crossroad the previous group ceased its activities. The four who left were also vocally incomplete and did not continue as an separate group. Undaunted, Deriashnyj and the remaining dedicated bandurists began to re-group over the next 3–4 years. An experienced and talented group of singer-bandurists was formed and they aspired towards a professional level of performance. All the while Deriashnyj gave weekly tuition to the younger students attending the bandura class at the School for Bandura in Lidcombe.
All the hard work paid off and in November 1975 the Ensemble together with the students of the Sydney School of Bandura gave a concert entitled "In the footsteps of the minstrels" (Шляхами Кобзарів). The younger students astounded the audience by playing two parts in the bandura accompaniment and singing in two voice harmony. Fedir Deriashnyj, a bandurist and craftsman of banduras from Newcastle also performed works that he learnt from minstrels in Ukraine during the mid 1920's. Apart from a varied repertoire of Ukrainian folk songs, the Ensemble showed the versatility of the bandura by including in its performance contemporary non-Ukrainian songs adapted and arranged by Deriashnyj - "500 Miles
" (Hedy West
), "Mr. Tambourine Man
" (Bob Dylan
) and "A Horse with No Name
" (Dewey Bunnell).
This concert had an great positive effect on the Ukrainian younger generation in Sydney. The high quality of the performances and the new repertoire attracted many new students to the group. The numbers of students at the Sydney School of Bandura grew to the point where the Ensemble's committee could no longer cope with the added administrative burden and a parent's committee was established.
In Jan. 1976 the quartet's performances came to the attention of recording technician Peter Ilyk after a performance at a Canberra international folk festival. Ilyk suggested the ensemble consider recording its repertoire, especially any fresh compositions or arrangements. The Ensemble embarked on recording an LP with some 12 songs from its repertoire. After some 14 months work the master tape was accidentally erased and recording began a fresh - but with a higher performance standard and much more instrumental and vocal precision and eventually in 1978 the LP entitled Bandura and Song was released for sale. The members of the quartet were - Neonila Babchenko-Deriashnyj (Soprano), Lidia Deriashnyj-Beal (alto), Peter Chochula (bass) and Peter Deriashnyj
(tenor). The quartet toured Australia with concerts and performances selling its LP to audiences in Perth
, Western Australia
, Hobart
, Adelaide
, Melbourne
and Geelong.
In 1981, under the initiative of the musical director of the Sydney School of Bandura Roxolana Mishalow, a federal organization was established and registered known as the Federation of Bandurists in Australia. The organizations mandate was to unite the growing number of bandurists in Australia and to share information. A grant was received from the Australia Arts Council to organize a bandura seminar and to pay for a special guest teacher and performer from the USA. The seminar took place at Sydney University in January 1982 with Julian Kytasty
as guest tutor and lecturer. 38 bandurist from around Australia participated with the final concert being recorded by SBS television.
In Jan 1984 another seminar was organized by Dr. Igor Yakubovych from Melbourne's "Lesia Ukrainka" Bandurist Ensemble and Peter Deriashnyj, where some 25 students from South Australia
, Victoria
, New South Wales
and Queensland
took part. At this seminar a bandurist association called Y.K.C.A - "Ukrainian Kobzarski Seminars in Australia" was formed by students present. Then in Jan 1985, again under the initiative of the Y.K.C.A organisation, the largest of seminars took place in Sydney with some 35 bandurist/students attending.
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
. It was founded in June 1964 by bandurist
Bandurist
A bandurist is a person who plays the Ukrainian plucked string instrument known as the bandura.-Types of performers:There are a number of different types of bandurist who differ in their paricular choice of instrument, the specific repertoire they play and manner in which they approach their...
Hryhory Bazhul and since May 1971 was directed by Peter Deriashnyj
Peter Deriashnyj
Peter Deriashnyj, is a Ukrainian Australian bandurist, composer of secular and sacred music, and choral conductor. He specializes in the Kharkiv style of bandura playing, but also plays folk and rock guitar....
.
Origins
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, bandurist Hryhory Bazhul emigrated to Sydney, Australia where he continued to perform for the Ukrainian community. Having had performing success in a number of bandura
Bandura
Bandura refers to a Ukrainian plucked string folk instrument. It combines elements of a box zither and lute, as well as its lute-like predecessor, the kobza...
ensembles in Germany during the post war years (1944–49), he was keen to establish a similar ensemble in Sydney where he had settled on completion of his immigrant contract.
In 1952, Bazhul advertised in the The Free Thought
The Free Thought
The Free Thought, also known as Vil'na dumka, Vilna Dumka and in ; is a weekly Ukrainian newspaper published in Australia since 1949. In addition to serving post-WW2 immigrants and the second and third generations of those immigrants, the newspaper also caters to newer immigrants from post-Soviet...
Ukrainian-language newspaper in an attempt to locate like-minded individuals. Two years later he befriended vocalist Pavlo Stetsenko and began to teach him to play bandura. Over the next 4–5 years another six individuals joined the group and began to develop a bandura technique and repertoire.
In time, this group of singer-bandurists began performing, initially in Sydney, and then in Melbourne to enthusiastic audiences. To mark the 100th anniversary of Taras Shevchenko
Taras Shevchenko
Taras Hryhorovych Shevchenko -Life:Born into a serf family of Hryhoriy Ivanovych Shevchenko and Kateryna Yakymivna Shevchenko in the village of Moryntsi, of Kiev Governorate of the Russian Empire Shevchenko was orphaned at the age of eleven...
death the group gave a series of concerts in Sydney and Melbourne and also produced a recording of four songs from their repertoire.
By 1963, after some 39 rehearsals (2-3 per month), five individuals of adult age and various levels of musical and vocal ability worked diligently to create a 17-song repertoire. This group had to overcome numerous difficulties related to the establishment of a bandurist ensemble in Australia, such as: manufacturing instruments; the procurement of suitable strings; tuning pegs and tuning keys. All these posed insurmountable problems. The development of repertoire was also an obstacle since no one in the group had suitable experience in arranging vocal works, as was the problem of duplication of musical scores. Repertoire collected by Bazhul from various sources was initially used and gradually all the other problems were overcome by sheer effort, which testifies to the tenacity of this ensemble and its founder. Then unexpectedly personal difficulties saw some of the members leave and now finding itself vocally incomplete the quintet ceased its activities in February 1964.
New generation bandurists
With the support of the Ukrainian Scouting movement and the conductor of the Ukrainian Choir Boyan - Vasyl Matiash, young scouts began to learn to play the instrument privately and a new generation of bandurists formed the Khotkevych Ensemble. In time the small group made numerous independent performances and also on many occasions accompanied the Boyan Choir under the direction of Vasyl Matiash. The new youth ensemble also included female participants.
By 1970 some 19 students had embarked on learning the art, however a core group of some 7 students remained and became known as the Hnat Khotkevych
Hnat Khotkevych
Hnat Martynovych Khotkevych December 31, 1877 in Kharkiv, Russian Empire – October 8, 1938 in Kharkiv, in the Ukrainian SSR of the Soviet Union) was a Ukrainian writer, ethnographer, playwright, composer, musicologist, and bandurist....
Bandurist Ensemble. They became the backbone of the Ensemble for the next few years. Hnat Khotkevych had taught Hryhory Bazhul to play the Kharkiv style bandura back in Ukraine, and as a mark of respect Bazhul chose to give this new ensemble Khotkevych's name.
As the group's popularity grew, the Ensemble became the moving force for the development of bandura art in Australia. It became evident that a formal school for learning bandura art in an central location with easy access to public transport needed to be established. Up until 1968 most new students were taught privately by Hryhory Bazhul at his residence in Fairfield West.
New direction
After moving to Sydney from Newcastle in 1966, Peter Deriashnyj contacted Hryhory Bazhul in July 1967 to pursue studies with the bandura, specifically the Kharkiv styleKharkiv style
The Kharkiv Academic Style of Bandura Playing is a specific way of playing the Ukrainian folk instrument bandura.The instrument is held in a way that allows both hands equal access to all the strings...
of bandura.
Deriashnyj joined Bazhul's small group of 5 bandurists in November 1967 and encouraged the existing members to include vocal study into the weekly practice routine. H. Bazhul supported this proposal and elevated him to concertmaster
Concertmaster
The concertmaster/mistress is the spalla or leader, of the first violin section of an orchestra. In the UK, the term commonly used is leader...
. His first act was to bring all instruments to a concert standard by the renewal of old or rusting strings and repairing of cracked instruments. Throughout 1968 the group worked diligently at combining 4 part vocals accompanied to their own bandura playing. A specific concert repertoire was selected and new bandura parts were written with a mind to the development of vocal and instrumental skills.
Their first independent concert took place in March 1969 in Wollongong, and was dedicated to the Ukrainian bard Taras Shevchenko
Taras Shevchenko
Taras Hryhorovych Shevchenko -Life:Born into a serf family of Hryhoriy Ivanovych Shevchenko and Kateryna Yakymivna Shevchenko in the village of Moryntsi, of Kiev Governorate of the Russian Empire Shevchenko was orphaned at the age of eleven...
. This concert was later repeated in Sydney. The new repertoire including the vocal performance of the Ensemble had an effect on the young Ukrainians in the audience and under Deriashnyj's direction the group attracted talented individuals and continued to expand its repertoire and playing technique. Challenging 4 part (SATB) choral vocals accompanied by 4 bandura parts - 1st and 2nd Kharkiv banduras and 1st and 2nd Chernihiv banduras became the norm.
From 1970 the ensemble toured the eastern states in Australia continually performing at community functions, historic anniversaries and numerous folkloric and ethnic festivals throughout Australia. In March 1971, ten bandurists with bassist Oless Tindyk gave an important concert in Newcastle dedicated to the bard Taras Shevchenko
Taras Shevchenko
Taras Hryhorovych Shevchenko -Life:Born into a serf family of Hryhoriy Ivanovych Shevchenko and Kateryna Yakymivna Shevchenko in the village of Moryntsi, of Kiev Governorate of the Russian Empire Shevchenko was orphaned at the age of eleven...
. At this concert a men's group and a women's group each performed 3 songs from their new repertoire as well as combining for the full ensemble performance - 14 items. The one negative issue to be exposed was a serious disagreement between the performing members as to who had voting rights in financial or performance matters. Of the many festivals the ensemble took part in, the most renowned was the Shell National Folkloric Festival
Shell National Folkloric Festival
Shell National Folkloric Festival was an annual ethnic folk festival held in Australia. Sponsored by the Shell Group of Companies with a grant of $50,000, the first Shell National Folkloric Festival was held at the Concert Hall during the opening celebrations of the Sydney Opera House in 1973.In...
held in the Sydney Opera House
Sydney Opera House
The Sydney Opera House is a multi-venue performing arts centre in the Australian city of Sydney. It was conceived and largely built by Danish architect Jørn Utzon, finally opening in 1973 after a long gestation starting with his competition-winning design in 1957...
- from approx. 1976 to late 1980s when eventually the festival ceased activities. the Ensemble's performances at the National Folkloric Festival were enhanced by the participation of its inter-state members.
In 1972, with donations received from caroling during the Christmas period and from individuals throughout Australia, Deriashnyj established the Sydney School of Bandura which was located at the Ukrainian Central School in Lidcombe. The funds were used to buy 3 or 4 banduras which were then used to introduce the 10-15 year old generation to the art of bandura. Students of the School of Bandura were able to study in both the Kharkiv style
Kharkiv style
The Kharkiv Academic Style of Bandura Playing is a specific way of playing the Ukrainian folk instrument bandura.The instrument is held in a way that allows both hands equal access to all the strings...
and the Chernihiv style however since Kharkiv banduras were difficult to obtain and more expensive to produce, the more plentiful and relatively inexpensive Chernihiv type banduras began to predominate. The Sydney School of Bandura however was the only one in the diaspora
Ukrainian diaspora
The Ukrainian diaspora is the global community of ethnic Ukrainians, especially those who maintain some kind of connection, even if ephemeral, to the land of their ancestors and maintain their feeling of Ukrainian national identity within their own local community.-1608 To 1880:After the loss...
to teach and propagate the Kharkiv style
Kharkiv style
The Kharkiv Academic Style of Bandura Playing is a specific way of playing the Ukrainian folk instrument bandura.The instrument is held in a way that allows both hands equal access to all the strings...
.
With due consideration for his state of health, Bazhul transferred the leadership of the Ensemble to bandurist Peter Deriashnyj in May 1971. This change did not sit well with some of the bandurists that were still wrestling with membership voting issues, let alone accept a new leader, the result being that the Ensemble lost four experienced members in that year. The new Ensemble, showing so much promise found itself vocally incomplete - at this crossroad the previous group ceased its activities. The four who left were also vocally incomplete and did not continue as an separate group. Undaunted, Deriashnyj and the remaining dedicated bandurists began to re-group over the next 3–4 years. An experienced and talented group of singer-bandurists was formed and they aspired towards a professional level of performance. All the while Deriashnyj gave weekly tuition to the younger students attending the bandura class at the School for Bandura in Lidcombe.
All the hard work paid off and in November 1975 the Ensemble together with the students of the Sydney School of Bandura gave a concert entitled "In the footsteps of the minstrels" (Шляхами Кобзарів). The younger students astounded the audience by playing two parts in the bandura accompaniment and singing in two voice harmony. Fedir Deriashnyj, a bandurist and craftsman of banduras from Newcastle also performed works that he learnt from minstrels in Ukraine during the mid 1920's. Apart from a varied repertoire of Ukrainian folk songs, the Ensemble showed the versatility of the bandura by including in its performance contemporary non-Ukrainian songs adapted and arranged by Deriashnyj - "500 Miles
500 Miles
"500 Miles" is a folk song made popular in the United States and Europe during the 1960s folk revival. The simple repetitive lyrics offer a lament by a traveler who is far from home, out of money and too ashamed to return...
" (Hedy West
Hedy West
Hedy West was an American folksinger and songwriter.West was of the same generation as Joan Baez, Judy Collins, and others of the American folk music revival. Her most famous song "500 Miles" is one of America's best loved and best known folk songs...
), "Mr. Tambourine Man
Mr. Tambourine Man
"Mr. Tambourine Man" is a song written and performed by Bob Dylan, which was released on his 1965 album Bringing It All Back Home. The Byrds also recorded a version of the song that was released as their first single on Columbia Records, reaching number 1 on both the Billboard Hot 100 chart and...
" (Bob Dylan
Bob Dylan
Bob Dylan is an American singer-songwriter, musician, poet, film director and painter. He has been a major and profoundly influential figure in popular music and culture for five decades. Much of his most celebrated work dates from the 1960s when he was an informal chronicler and a seemingly...
) and "A Horse with No Name
A Horse with No Name
“A Horse with No Name” is a song written by Dewey Bunnell and originally recorded by the band America. It was the band's first and most successful single, released in early 1972, topping the charts in several countries...
" (Dewey Bunnell).
This concert had an great positive effect on the Ukrainian younger generation in Sydney. The high quality of the performances and the new repertoire attracted many new students to the group. The numbers of students at the Sydney School of Bandura grew to the point where the Ensemble's committee could no longer cope with the added administrative burden and a parent's committee was established.
The Khotkevych quartet
In June 1974, finding itself somewhat vocally incomplete, the Ensemble could not celebrate its 10th anniversary with a concert, instead a low key social event took place. Unfortunately, experienced singer-bandurist Lesia Bilash was given a teaching position in country NSW. But simultaneously, a young university student - Peter Chochula with a bass voice showing great potential began to study the art through private tuition from Deriashnyj. Working enthusiastically through 1975, the group developed a good blend with the voices of the four existing members - Neonila Babchenko-Deriashnyj (soprano), Lidia Deriashnyj-Di-Scullo (Alto), Peter Deriashnyj (tenor) and Peter Chochula (bass).In Jan. 1976 the quartet's performances came to the attention of recording technician Peter Ilyk after a performance at a Canberra international folk festival. Ilyk suggested the ensemble consider recording its repertoire, especially any fresh compositions or arrangements. The Ensemble embarked on recording an LP with some 12 songs from its repertoire. After some 14 months work the master tape was accidentally erased and recording began a fresh - but with a higher performance standard and much more instrumental and vocal precision and eventually in 1978 the LP entitled Bandura and Song was released for sale. The members of the quartet were - Neonila Babchenko-Deriashnyj (Soprano), Lidia Deriashnyj-Beal (alto), Peter Chochula (bass) and Peter Deriashnyj
Peter Deriashnyj
Peter Deriashnyj, is a Ukrainian Australian bandurist, composer of secular and sacred music, and choral conductor. He specializes in the Kharkiv style of bandura playing, but also plays folk and rock guitar....
(tenor). The quartet toured Australia with concerts and performances selling its LP to audiences in Perth
Perth, Western Australia
Perth is the capital and largest city of the Australian state of Western Australia and the fourth most populous city in Australia. The Perth metropolitan area has an estimated population of almost 1,700,000....
, Western Australia
Western Australia
Western Australia is a state of Australia, occupying the entire western third of the Australian continent. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Great Australian Bight and Indian Ocean to the south, the Northern Territory to the north-east and South Australia to the south-east...
, Hobart
Hobart
Hobart is the state capital and most populous city of the Australian island state of Tasmania. Founded in 1804 as a penal colony,Hobart is Australia's second oldest capital city after Sydney. In 2009, the city had a greater area population of approximately 212,019. A resident of Hobart is known as...
, Adelaide
Adelaide
Adelaide is the capital city of South Australia and the fifth-largest city in Australia. Adelaide has an estimated population of more than 1.2 million...
, Melbourne
Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
and Geelong.
All Australian Bandura Seminars
The concert tours and the sales of the LP Bandura and Song had a significant effect on bandura enthusiasts in Melbourne, Adelaide and Canberra. Ensembles in these towns that were already in the making renewed their efforts and began an active concert performing career. The banduras for these ensembles came from Ukraine and were of the Chernihiv type - some were even equipped with mechanisms that enabled the rapid changing of the key to which the instrument was tuned. This permitted the performance of more interesting and challenging bandura works.In 1981, under the initiative of the musical director of the Sydney School of Bandura Roxolana Mishalow, a federal organization was established and registered known as the Federation of Bandurists in Australia. The organizations mandate was to unite the growing number of bandurists in Australia and to share information. A grant was received from the Australia Arts Council to organize a bandura seminar and to pay for a special guest teacher and performer from the USA. The seminar took place at Sydney University in January 1982 with Julian Kytasty
Julian Kytasty
Julian Kytasty is a Ukrainian-American composer, singer, kobzar, bandurist, flute player and conductor. He was born January 23 1958 in Detroit, Michigan, in the family of refugees....
as guest tutor and lecturer. 38 bandurist from around Australia participated with the final concert being recorded by SBS television.
In Jan 1984 another seminar was organized by Dr. Igor Yakubovych from Melbourne's "Lesia Ukrainka" Bandurist Ensemble and Peter Deriashnyj, where some 25 students from South Australia
South Australia
South Australia is a state of Australia in the southern central part of the country. It covers some of the most arid parts of the continent; with a total land area of , it is the fourth largest of Australia's six states and two territories.South Australia shares borders with all of the mainland...
, Victoria
Victoria (Australia)
Victoria is the second most populous state in Australia. Geographically the smallest mainland state, Victoria is bordered by New South Wales, South Australia, and Tasmania on Boundary Islet to the north, west and south respectively....
, New South Wales
New South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
and Queensland
Queensland
Queensland is a state of Australia, occupying the north-eastern section of the mainland continent. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Australia and New South Wales to the west, south-west and south respectively. To the east, Queensland is bordered by the Coral Sea and Pacific Ocean...
took part. At this seminar a bandurist association called Y.K.C.A - "Ukrainian Kobzarski Seminars in Australia" was formed by students present. Then in Jan 1985, again under the initiative of the Y.K.C.A organisation, the largest of seminars took place in Sydney with some 35 bandurist/students attending.
1985-1994 The Ivasiuk Folk Ensemble Years
In June 1984 on the occasion of the 5th anniversary of the suspicious death of Ukrainian contemporary composer V. Ivasiuk, the group took part in a remembrance concert in Sydney where many of the younger generation musician, singers, instrumentalists also took part. The success of this concert saw the founding of the Ivasiuk Folk Ensemble by Peter Deriashnyj. For the next 10 years the Khotkevich Bandurist Ensemble worked as a instrumental support ensemble, effectively forming a choir with bandura accompaniment - a bandura capella. In the following years this powerful choral instrumental combination saw concert performances in Brisbane, Newcastle, Sydney, Canberra and Melbourne. The bandura ensemble still performed as an independent group but the combination with the four part choral vocals of the Ivasiuk Folk Ensemble was the high watermark for both groups. At this time much of Deriashnyj's attention was directed toward the Ivasiuk Folk Ensemble so the bandura group's assistant director - Peter Chochulla took on the capella-master role, managing and organising rehearsals.See also
- Ukrainian diasporaUkrainian diasporaThe Ukrainian diaspora is the global community of ethnic Ukrainians, especially those who maintain some kind of connection, even if ephemeral, to the land of their ancestors and maintain their feeling of Ukrainian national identity within their own local community.-1608 To 1880:After the loss...
- Ukrainian AustralianUkrainian AustralianThe Ukrainians are an ethnic minority in Australia, numbering about 20,000 people, hence making up 0.16% of the total population. Currently, the main concentrations of Ukrainians are located in Melbourne and Sydney.- History :...
- Ukrainian dance in AustraliaUkrainian dance in AustraliaUkrainian dance refers to dance as part of Ukrainian culture in Australia. After the first main wave of Ukrainian immigrants came to Australia after World War II, the Ukrainian community in Australia became active in the formation of a variety of cultural organizations, including choirs, folk...
- Ukrainian Artists Society of AustraliaUkrainian Artists Society of AustraliaThe Ukrainian Artists Society of Australia was founded in 1967 and was particularly active from the 1960s to the 1970s. As well as the national body, there were a number of other chapters founded in the other Australian states, however, the NSW chapter of the Society, using the acronym СУОМА —...