Ukrainian Ensemble of Classical Music in the USA

Ukrainian Trio with Bandura, Flute & Violin

Ola Herasymenko – bandura, Olha Shevchyk – flute, Lesya Sokolovych – violin

PROGRAM

OUR PERFORMERS 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.

Lesya Sokolovych, violinist,born in Drohobych, Ukraine. She graduated from the Musical college of her native city and was a member of the Opera and the Theatre Orchestra for 10 years. Toured Ukraine, Slovakia, and the Czech Republic. Member of the American River College Symphony and The Premier Youth Orchestra of Sacramento. Her performances include Sacramento and California at various festivals, and international events. She also performed with the trio of Ukrainian folk instruments in many California cities and also in Seattle, Washington. Sokolovych is a member of Ukrainian String Quartet, specializing in music of Ukrainian composers.

Olha Shevchyk, flutist, graduated from the Lviv Conservatory. She performed with the Drohobych Chamber Orchestra, which concertized in Ukraine, England, and other countries. Shevchyk is a winner of Ukrainian Musical Competition in 1986 in Dnipropetrovsk. She came to the USA in 1996 and is now an active member of the Ukrainian Heritage Club of Northern California. She performed with the Ukrainian trio in many California cities and in Seattle, Washington. Olha Shevchyk performs with the Ukrainian String Sextet, specializing in music of Ukrainian composers.

Seattle - International Festival, May 2002

Sacramento, California, December 2003

 

Seattle - International Festival, May 2002

Concert in Georgetown - October 12, 2003 with members of  Ukrainian Ensemble of Classical Music

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.

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