New York bandurists resume work at St. George School

NEW YORK - New York's newest bandura group resumed work last week in a classroom at St. George School in the East Village. Ten elementary school students and four boys from the high school are sharing the instruments donated by the parents' committee of St. George School. The group works under the direction of bandurist Julian Kytasty, artistic director of the New York School of Bandura.

The St. George bandurists began learning to play Ukraine's demanding national instrument in October 1997, when Mr. Kytasty returned to New York from touring with the Ukrainian Bandurist Chorus. In December 1997 they had their first performance, playing Christmas carols and traditional dance melodies for parents and fellow students on the occasion of the visit of St. Nicholas to St. George School.

The audience that day included another Nick: Nick Czorny, administrator of the New York School of Bandura, who has been responsible for establishing and supporting bandura groups not only in the New York metropolitan area, but also in South America and Ukraine, and for many years has been the publisher of Bandura magazine, the only publication devoted to Ukraine's national instrument.

The initiative for beginning a new bandura group at St. George's came from the school's principal, Sister Monica, who contacted Mr. Kytasty within days of his return to New York. Mr. Kytasty had spent several years in western Canada, where he directed music programs at St. Vladimir's College in Roblin, Manitoba, and St. Andrew's College in Winnipeg.

Support for this and other bandura-related programs in the New York City area is also provided by the New York School of Bandura (partially funded by a grant from the New York State Council on the Arts).

Copyright © The Ukrainian Weekly, February 1, 1998, No. 5, Vol. LXVI

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