The
Ukrainian Bandurist Chorus
2008 Yearbook
New Artistic Director and Conductor | Special Message from Adrian Bryttan
Spring and Summer 2008
| Fall 2008
| Hryhory Kytasty – Hero of Ukraine
May 2008
The
Ukrainian Bandurist Chorus elects Adrian Bryttan
as new Artistic Director and Conductor
Detroit – At a special
membership meeting held on May 31st in Cleveland,
Ohio, the Ukrainian Bandurist Chorus membership
elected Adrian Bryttan its seventh conductor
in North America since 1949. Maestro Bryttan
will begin his term on July 1, 2008.
In November
of 2007, Oleh Mahlay announced to the UBC membership
that he will be stepping down as the Conductor
and Artistic Director in order to spend more
time with family. At that time, a Conductor
Search Committee was formed and included the
following UBC members: Ihor Kusznir, Committee
Chairman and current UBC Assistant Conductor;
Anatoli W. Murha, committee Secretary and current
UBC President; George Metulynsky, Michael Serdiuk,
Orest Sklierenko, John Zinchuk and Roman Beley.
Over
a period of six months, the search committee
implemented a communication plan and the search
was conducted based on recommendations and best
practices as suggested by the American Symphony
Orchestra League, Chorus America and other similar
cultural organizations. The initial search for
a conductor looked at potential candidates throughout
the USA, Canada and Ukraine. A select number
of candidates were contacted, all of whom were
honored to be considered for the position. Candidates
were given a detailed job description and asked
to submit a resume. Upon committee review of
the resumes, interviews were held with potential
candidates in various cities. All candidates
were rated based on a detailed list of criteria.
Following the interviews, a select number of
candidates were invited to participate in a
working session with the UBC. After each session,
UBC members were asked to fill out an evaluation
form for each conductor; these results were
compiled and considered by the committee in
the decision making process.
Ihor
Kusznir is quoted with, "The search process
revealed several highly qualified candidates.
The committee had a challenging task at hand
and felt Maestro Bryttan was the best fit for
this incredible responsibility. Our committee
recommended Bryttan but the ultimate decision
was left to the UBC membership." Per the
UBC by-laws, the active membership must elect
a Conductor with two-thirds majority vote.
When
first asked about the prospect of working with
the UBC, Bryttan emphasized, "The impact
of the UBC resonates far beyond just musical
concerts. We have a golden opportunity to reach
wider audiences and make new influential and
helpful friends. Together we need to be image-builders
for the Ukrainian spiritual and cultural heritage."
“My
priority will be to reach American public and
mainstream media audiences by widening the repertoire
to include international and contemporary composers.
A major part of my efforts will consequently
be devoted to the visual and production aspects
of our concerts”, Bryttan explained.
"The
UBC is a unique musical ensemble and I intend
to continue cultivating our rich heritage of
kobzari and bandurysty music. The central core
of our repertoire will be devoted, as always,
to the best in the traditional and contemporary
Ukrainian dumas, ballads, folk songs and instrumental
compositions. This is what we are about. At
the same time, it can be effective to steer
the concerts towards more variety. Possibilities
will include more showcasing of the bandura
as an improvised solo performance along with
specialized smaller ensembles."
Adrian
Bryttan, a resident of New York, New
York, enjoys an international career as violin
soloist as well as conductor. He performed the
Alban Berg violin concerto as winner of the
Concerto Competition at the Manhattan School
of Music and was also the first recipient of
the Pablo Casals Award “for musical accomplishment
and human endeavor”.
At the
podium, Mr. Bryttan’s extensive symphonic
repertoire encompasses world premiere performances
of symphonic compositions and operas. He has
been engaged to lead new productions at the
Chicago Opera Theater, New Haven and New Rochelle
Operas, and the John Brownlee Opera Theater.
He has appeared with Sinfonia Varsovia in Warsaw,
Theater Bielefeld in Germany, the Seoul Philharmonic
in Korea and in numerous televised performances
with the Lviv Philharmonic, Lviv Opera and Kharkiv
Opera in Ukraine. His latest CD recording is
Händel's "Acis and Galatea" with
the Warsaw Chamber Symphony. Recently Classical
New Jersey praised his conducting of Wagner’s
“Die Walküre” as “brilliant
and masterful...could have emerged from any
orchestra pit in the world with honor.”
In 2005
and 2006 Adrian Bryttan was appointed a Fulbright
International Scholar and assigned to Ukraine
where he introduced such contemporary symphonic
compositions like Ginastera's ballet suite from
"Estancia", the Britten "Four
Sea Interludes from Peter Grimes", William
Grant Still's "Panamanian Dances",
compositions by Gunther Schuller, contemporary
Chinese composers and "Big Band Sounds"
and other jazz works for orchestra. During his
tenure in Ukraine, he worked with professional
symphonies, opera theaters, musical conservatories,
and lectured at universities, museums, and film
societies.
Mr. Bryttan
has served as conductor and violinist on the
music faculties at Memphis State, Kansas State
and Notre Dame Universities and most recently,
Vassar College. He has been invited to conduct
operatic and symphonic performances at Rutgers
University and the Manhattan School of Music.
UBC President
Anatoli Murha had the following to say, "The
UBC is fortunate to find such a highly qualified
conductor to lead us towards our 100th anniversary.
The UBC not only represents itself and its work,
but represents Ukraine, Ukrainian culture and
music, and Ukrainians around the world. I feel
very strongly that Maestro Bryttan understands
our mission andI look forward to working with
him.
TOP
A SPECIAL MESSAGE FROM ADRIAN
BRYTTAN……
My
vision for the Ukrainian Bandurist Chorus
The
Ukrainian Bandurist Chorus opens a portal for
everyone into the heart and soul of Ukrainian
culture. The kaleidoscope of life's joys and
sorrows is mirrored in the inexhaustible treasury
of our songs and dances. The sincerity, humor
and sheer beauty of this music speak a universal
language that touches every listener.
I often
try to imagine the reactions of new audience
members hearing banduras for the first time.
The appeal of these unique instruments must
be spellbinding. The ranges of emotions expressed
in our songs surely resonate with everyone regardless
of nationality.
What
was formerly called “folk" or “ethnic,"
"World Music" is now a recognized
and extremely popular category of listening
music, particularly with the younger set. Over
the years, composers from Haydn to Bartok were
inspired by Ukrainian folk songs and used them
as source material.
Beethoven
wrote numerous variations on “Yikhav kozak
za Dunay" under the title “Air cosaque"
and “Ukrainisch. He might even have first
heard it accompanied on a bandura at the Vienna
residence of Count Andrij Rozumovsky, son of
the last hetman of Ukraine. Any such connections
with the musical mainstream deserve to be illustrated
in performance, especially at college concerts.
My central
ambition this season is to win wider audiences
among the general American and other publics
and help attain more recognition within the
mass media. Music opens doors. The effects of
this year's concerts of the New York Philharmonic
in North Korea, for example, will be felt for
many years to come. In addition to providing
entertainment, the UBC has a golden opportunity
to be image builders for the Ukrainian cultural
and spiritual heritage. At the same time, adding
more American and classical songs will demonstrate
the bandura's scope to perform international
literature and attract new fans and influential
friends.
Today
it seems like almost everyone is plugged into
iPods whether walking down the street, riding
a bus or reading a book in the park. In the
midst of this electronic saturation, performers
of traditional music provide a unique experience.
Groups like Riverdance, Andre Rieux's orchestra,
and Celtic Women continue to reach out to ever-wider
audiences. Even listening to songs in languages
they don't understand, millions of people around
the globe have been thrilled by The Three Tenors
and their many imitators.
Why have
these ensembles been so successful? Above all,
their performances are passionate, expressive,
and touch the hearts of every listener. This
is due in large part to the visual and production
values associated with each concert.
Our objective
is to present flowing professional productions
as captivating to the eye as they are musical
to the ear. The bandura has an exotic charm
because it is also an instrument of mystery.
Centuries-old epic ballads transport us back
in time bringing those bygone eras back to life.
At other times, the bandura can be lighthearted
and inspire joyous foot-tapping dance rhythms.
No other nation has a richer bounty of melodies.
Transmitting these varying moods through atmospheric
lighting and striking images creates an immediate
experience for the viewers. No audience should
have to digest long program notes or sit through
lectures to appreciate a concert.
I am
delighted to have the opportunity to work with
the UBC, the only organization of its kind in
the world. Each of the previous conductors has
contributed his own valuable insight through
dedication and much hard work. I am especially
grateful to Oleh Mahlay for helpfully sharing
his experience with me. Personally, I look forward
to working with every UBC member throughout
this coming season.
TOP
Spring and Summer 2008
KONOTOP
"…traveling
to you the long, hard road from the past; from
the blue-skied days, when Kozak power ruled,
days of valor and glory, and bravery untold."
From poem about the
Battle of Konotop by Petro Karpenko –
Krynycia
SCHEDULED
TO BE RELEASED IN DECEMBER, 2008
The Story
In the summer of 1659, Konotop, a town in the
northeastern region of Ukraine, was besieged
for three months by the army of Prince Trubetsky
in the midst of the Ukrainian-Muscovite war.
Utilizing folk melodies,
operatic techniques, and poignant instrumental
passages, Hryhory Kytasty is able to convey
the tragedy of the war, along with the triumph
of the Ukrainian Army over the Muscovites in
this epic piece of music.
Recording
During the Spring and Summer months of 2008,
the UBC is in the studio recording Hryhory Kytasty's
legendary "Battle of Konotop." Most
recently, Konotop was featured during the Chorus'
"Bandura – The Soul of Ukraine"
tour in October 2007.
In addition to Konotop,
this recording will feature new selections from
the UBC's vast repertoire.
The recording
ensemble at the May session outside of SUMA
Recording Studio in Painesville, Ohio
Pictures
from the May recording session
 
 
TOP
Concerts
October
18 – Cleveland
UCCA XX CONGRESSIONAL BANQUET
The Ukrainian
Bandurist Chorus will be the featured performers
at the Ukrainian Congress Committee of America's
(UCCA) Quadrennial Congress on Saturday, October
18th. The UBC will present a short program at
the formal Congressional Banquet held at Ukrainian
Center in St. Pokrova Church Hall in Parma, Ohio.
The evening's keynote speech will be delivered
by Senator George Voinovich. The Mayor of Cleveland,
Frank G. Jackson, and Ukraine's Ambassador to
the United States, Oleh Shamshur, have also been
invited to address the delegates and guests of
the banquet.
The UCCA invites the community to attend the XX
Congressional Banquet. The Ukrainian Center in
St. Pokrova Church Hall is located at 6812 Broadview
Road, Parma, Ohio. Cocktail hour will begin at
6:00PM and the program begins at 7:00PM. Tickets
are $55 per person and may be purchased by contacting
the United Ukrainian Organizations of Ohio c/o
Wasyl Liscynesky, 5907 State Road, Parma, Ohio
44134, or by telephone at 440.888.4220.
Members of the Ukrainian Bandurist Chorus share a photo with George Voinovich, U.S. Senator for Ohio, during the UCCA banquet.
November
9 – Detroit
COMMEMORATION IN DETROIT FOR 75th ANNIVERSARY
OF THE GENOCIDAL FAMINE (HOLODOMOR) IN UKRAINE
The Ukrainian Bandurist Chorus will present a
short program on Sunday, November 9th at the Ukrainian
Cultural Center in Warren, Michigan as part of
the Ukrainian-American Community of Metropolitan
Detroit commemoration of the Genocidal Famine
in Ukraine from 1932 - 1933.
The commemoration will include a requiem service,
testimony of witnesses and performance by the
Ukrainian Bandurist Chorus. The service begins
at 2:00pm.
Sunday, November 9
Ukrainian Cultural Center
26601 Ryan Road, Warren MI 48091
2:00pm Requiem Service
Voluntary Donations will
be accepted for the Holodomor Monument in Washington
DC
TOP
Hryhory Kytasty – Hero of Ukraine
 On November 25, 2008, the President of Ukraine, Viktor Yushchenko, bestowed the “Hero of Ukraine” award (posthumously) to the long-time conductor of the Ukrainian Bandurist Chorus, Hryhory Kytasty (1907 – 1984). During Maestro Kytasty’s more than 40 years of leadership in the UBC, he was a mentor to young bandura players, wrote countless compositions, founded Kobzarska Sich Bandura Camp, and tirelessly dedicated his musical talents to the mission of the UBC.
The award was presented by the First Lady of Ukraine Mrs. Kateryna Yushchenko to Maestro Kytasty’s son, Andriy, on December 2, 2008 at Ukraine’s Embassy in Washington DC. Following the presentation, members of the Ukrainian Bandurist Chorus led by Adrian Bryttan, gave a short performance in honor of Maestro Kytasty.
Andriy Kytasty, son of Hryhory Kytasty, is presented the "Hero of Ukraine" award by First Lady of Ukraine Kateryna Yushchenko.
Left, Hon. Oleh Shamshur, Ambassador of Ukraine to the United States
First Lady Kateryna Yushchenko with UBC President Anatoli Murha (left), Teodozij Pryshlak (center) and Teodor Bodnar (back).
Click here to read the official announcement of the award (in Ukrainian language).
Click here to read an article from “Chas i podii” about the presentation (in Ukrainian language).
To read more about Maestro Kytasty, please click here. TOP
|
