City of Windsor is proud of its two Ukrainian prodigies (06/21/98)

City of Windsor is proud of its two Ukrainian prodigies

by Myroslaw Prytulak
Special to The Ukrainian Weekly

WINDSOR, Ontario - "A person endowed with surprising qualities, esp. precocious child" is the definition of "prodigy" given by The Concise Oxford Dictionary of Current English.

The city of Windsor happens to be honored with two gifted Ukrainian Canadian individuals: Darrett Zusko, a 13-year-old pianist, and his 18-year-old sister Dara-Lynn, a violinist.

Darrett and Dara are the children of Dr. Edward Zusko, a Canadian-born dentist, (whose parents are ethnic Ukrainians from Poland and Czecho-Slovakia) and Grace Anne Zusko, a school teacher.

Darrett, an eighth grader enrolled in an all-French elementary school, started piano lessons at age 4, and is currently studying piano at the School of Music of the University of Windsor. His piano teacher of five years, the department head, Dr. Gregory Butler, describes Darrett's talent as "insightful, rich in imagination and of world-class potential."

Darrett began competing nationally in 1995 at age 10. On his first attempt, the Canadian Music Competitions, national final, which was held in Toronto, awarded him first place in the age 12 and under category.

In 1996, he was awarded first prize and $2,000 in the age 30 and under category by the Edward Johnson Music Competition, which took place in Guelph, Ontario.

One of the adjudicators of this contest, the famed contralto Maureen Forrester, was so impressed with Darrett's performance that she noted on her evaluation sheet that she isn't certain "how can one attempt to evaluate a genius."

In 1997, Darrett took part in four competitions: placing first at the Ontario Registered Music Teachers' Association, Provincial Student Instrumental Competition, Toronto; placing third out of 118 other young participants from around the world in the age 12 and under group at the Joanna Hodges International Piano Competition, Palm Desert, Calif.; placing first in the age 29 and under group, at Ontario Music Festivals Association provincial finals, Lakefield, Ontario; and, finally, placing third and winning $400 at the National Music Festival, Saskatoon, where he officially represented the Province of Ontario in the piano category.

Some of Darrett's major stage performances include his appearances as a guest pianist with the Kitchener-Waterloo Chamber Orchestra (twice), the Windsor Symphony Orchestra, Guelph Spring Festival and the Michigan's Macomb Symphony Orchestra (twice).

His solo concerts comprise a special recital and a solo debut, both of which were held at the University of Windsor, as well as the most recent one presented by the Ukrainian Arts Society of Detroit, which took place at St. Josaphat's Hall in Warren, Mich.

Music is not Darrett's only interest. In his spare time he also enjoys cross-country motorcycling and skiing, camping, fishing, target shooting, golfing, Tae Kwan Do, computer games and chess.

Dara-Lynn began taking violin lessons when she was 3 and played her first concerto when she was 5. At age 9 she was the youngest winner ever of the Windsor and Chatham Kiwanis Music Festival, open string division.

By age 10 Dara-Lynn attained the equivalent of a grade 10 program of the Toronto Conservatory of Music. She also appeared, as a guest soloist, with the Windsor Community Orchestra.

At present Dara-Lynn is concertmaster of the Windsor Community Orchestra and a first year student at the School of Music of the University of Windsor. She is also taking private violin lessons from the retired assistant concertmaster of the Detroit Symphony Orchestra, Morris Hochberg.

In her leisure time she enjoys playing her 1849 violin with her brother Darrett; and participates, with her Ukrainian friend Oksana Vignan, in their newly formed musical trio.