A pilgrimage to Ukraine turns into an 80th birthday celebration for "godfather of bandura" (11/22/98)

A pilgrimage to Ukraine turns into an 80th birthday celebration for "godfather of bandura"

KYIV - Each year Nick Czorny-Dosinchuk and his wife, Stefania, make a pilgrimage to Ukraine to visit their extended family: those who share their dedication to the preservation and cultivation of the bandura. Their schedule this year was packed with the regular dose of meetings and interviews. However, many surprises lay in store as well, as April 20 had marked the 80th birthday of Mr. Czorny-Dosinchuk, a tireless promoter of the bandura.

Just a couple of days after arriving in Ukraine, Mr. Czorny-Dosinchuk, his wife and one of their daughters, Lydia, who works and lives in Kyiv, traveled to Dnipropetrovsk for an International Bandura Competition on May 21-22. Although many would attest to the fact that this region is extremely Russified, there are individuals and institutions working towards the preservation and rebirth of Ukrainian culture and language in this region.

For example, the family's guide during their stay, Halyna Yehorova, works with a children's bandura ensemble whose participants are as young as 5 years old. Ms. Yehorova uses the repertoire of her ensemble not only to teach these youngsters traditional Ukrainian folk music, but also to instill some of the Ukrainian spirituality that had been suppressed under the former Soviet regime.

Lidia Vorina, the "matriarch of bandura" for the region, welcomed the guests. She acknowledged that her inspiration for organizing this International Competition actually came from Mr. Czorny-Dosinchuk, who had encouraged bandura organizers throughout Ukraine for the last few years to work together and hold such events. Ms. Vorina took up the initiative and asked him to serve as honorary head of the Competition Jury.

During the opening ceremonies, Mr. Czorny-Dosinchuk was introduced to the participants and the press, and was surprised when organizers greeted him on his 80th birthday. The press and performers alike asked many questions about bandura in the U.S. and more specifically about Bandura magazine and the New York School of Bandura.

The competition brought together participants from Chernihiv, Sambir (Lviv region), Zaporizhia, Kyiv, Odesa, Mykolaiv, Kirovohrad and Dnipropetrovsk. The winner of the junior division was the group from Sambir called Pysanka, which incorporated in its segment a dance group and a young girl soloist acclaimed as the "Golden Voice of Ukraine." The grand prize winner in the adult category was the Charivnytsi ensemble of Dnipropetrovsk.

At the closing press conference, Mr. Czorny-Dosinchuk presented the organizers with a check for $500 - a joint gift from the Self-Reliance Federal Credit Union of New York and the Ukrainian Orthodox Credit Union towards the organizational costs of the competition.

On Thursday, May 28, many of Kyiv's famous bandurists, kobzars and supporters of this art form, gathered at the historic Taras Shevchenko Museum to celebrate the 80th birthday of Mr. Czorny-Dosinchuk, and to pay tribute to him as the moving force of the New York School of Bandura since its inception over a quarter century ago, editor of Bandura magazine for the past 17 years, "bandura godfather" to many bandurists in South America and unparalleled promoter of the bandura.

At the start of the celebratory evening, Volodymyr Horbatiuk, head of the All-Ukrainian Union of Kobzars, presented Mr. Czorny-Dosinchuk with a special certificate stating that there is no stage large enough to hold all of the bandurists who owe their beginnings to his efforts. Mr. Czorny-Dosinchuk was presented with honorary membership in the union (and an identification card numbered 80), as was Julian Kytasty, musical director of the New York Bandura Ensemble, who came to Kyiv to participate in the festivities. Mr. Czorny-Dosinchuk's older daughter, Irene Andreadis, also traveled from New York for the celebration.

Mr. Horbatiuk then introduced Volodymyr Muliava, the current hetman of Ukrainian Kozatstvo, who awarded the honoree with the Honorary Cross of Ukrainian Kozatstvo for his contributions to the preservation and further development of the bandura art form, not only in New York, but throughout the world. The presentation was followed by a moving rendition of "Kobza Moya" (My Kobza) performed by Mr. Horbatiuk.

Borys Spysarenko, master of ceremonies, interspersed Mr. Czorny-Dosinchuk's biography throughout the various performance numbers that followed.

Prof. Serhii Bashtan of the Kyiv Conservatory greeted Mr. Czorny-Dosinchuk, noting that he spends his time meeting as many bandurists as possible - old friends and new discoveries alike - in order to document their artistic work, as well as their research on Ukrainian music.

Valentyna Rodak, a great promoter of the bandura in Canada, the director of the Hnat Khotkevych Bandura Ensemble and organizer of a number of bandura camps and concerts, traced joint efforts where Mr. Czorny-Dosinchuk's and her roads often met in a common cause. They were co-recipients of the Honorary Membership Award of the Detroit-based Ukrainian Bandurist Chorus in recognition of their hard work and dedication. Mrs. Rodak recalled that she had traveled to South America on the invitation of Mr. Czorny to teach instructors and students as part of a program he coordinated.

A very special duo composed of Mr. Kytasty, the long-time former and current musical director of the New York School of Bandura and the Echo of the Steppes Ensemble, and Mykola Deychakiwsky, former Echo of the Steppes Ensemble director and member, who now works in Kyiv, performed a song about Kozak Mamay. This was the very piece they had played at the first bandura workshop in New York to which they were invited by Mr. Czorny-Dosinchuk, when their fruitful cooperation began 20 years ago. Both men are members of the Ukrainian Bandurist Chorus.

Mrs. Czorny thanked Mr. Kytasty for his commitment to continuing the tradition of his family. The Kytasty family's contributions continue through a whole new generation of Kytastys. His great-uncle, Maestro Hryhory Kytasty, his grandfather, Ivan, and his father, Petro, all were leading figures in the Taras Shevchenko Ukrainian Bandurist Chorus who passed on so much of their time, talent and spirituality to young students throughout the world.

The director of the Taras Shevchenko Museum, Liudmyla Zinchuk, remembered meeting Mr. Czorny-Dosinchuk in 1992, when he suggested that she start an anthology of bandura and kobzarstvo. Motivated by letters from New York, she compiled three huge volumes, which she now turned over to the honoree so that those who might have the energy and resources could prepare the materials for publication.

Valerii Mormel, director of the only bandura museum in the world, located in Pereiaslav-Khmelnytskyi, drew on the many years he has worked with Mr. Czorny-Dosinchuk, adding his name to the long list of those who have dedicated their lives to the bandura.

Leonid Cherkaskyi, director of the Museum of Theater and Music, prepared an exhibit on the life and work of Mr. Czorny-Dosinchuk that was displayed in the hall of this impressive museum.

In the tradition of bandura families - the Yanytskyi husband-and-wife team was joined by their sons to perform a lively, humorous folk song. They also topped the evening off by bringing out a surprise birthday cake and having the audience join in a heartfelt round of "Mnohaia Lita."

Many other well-wishers performed, and still others had wanted to participate in this festive occasion, however, the program already lasted over three hours. All had an opportunity to meet and greet the honoree at the reception that followed.

The Ukrainian Bandurist Chorus held its own private event the following day: a full concert program dedicated to Mr. Czorny-Dosinchuk. Director Mykola Hvozd noted that 1998 marks the 80th anniversary also of the Ukrainian Bandurist Chorus in Kyiv. The chorus performed moving prayers, patriotic marches as well as historic, humorous and romantic folk songs.

Mr. Cherkaskyi and his assistant, Tetiana Sitenko, from the state museum had the opportunity to perform a humorous biographical sketch that highlighted some of Mr. Czorny's adventures: for example, he convinced tourist groups traveling to South America to carry banduras for groups in Brazil and Argentina in order to avoid the risks, costs and customs hassles of shipping the instruments; he would negotiate for a better price for articles at a market when the ensemble was touring South America, claiming that all the bandurists were his children.

A month later, on June 28, another big concert took place in honor of Mr. Czorny-Dosinchuk - this time in Lviv, the heart of western Ukraine. In a program organized by the legendary bandurist Mykhailo Baran and the Karpaty Blind Bandurist Chorus, participants from all over western Ukraine gathered before a packed audience.

One of the only ensembles of its kind, the Karpaty Blind Bandurists Ensemble is composed mostly of blind or vision-impaired musicians, true to old kobzar traditions. The group is led by a dynamic trio: the executive director is Vitalii Melnyk, who was instrumental in organizing this special event, musical director Yulian Vovk and conductor Yaroslav Melekh.

After a short biographical introduction by bandura historian Bohdan Zheplynskyi and a greeting from the Lviv Oblast Administration and the director of the Strusiv Bandura Ensemble of Ternopil, Bohdan Ivanonkiv, the concert began with the youngest participants, the Hamalia boys' ensemble. Their director, Tatiana Shalenko, managed to bring together this ensemble of over 40 young boys age 10-17 in a very short time with a high level of quality in their performance.

One of the oldest kobzars alive, Mykola Sarma Sokolovsky, also passed on his greeting, which was read during the program. The program continued with the performance of the Charivni Struny (Enchanted Strings) Ensemble directed by Iryna Sodomora. This group, which had traveled to the U.S. a few years ago, still comprises some of the young girls who had visited New York and remembered the kindness and generosity of Mr. and Mrs. Czorny.

Prof. Vasyl Herasymenko of the Lviv Conservatory along with his daughter Oksana, a noted bandurist in her own right, presented the honoree with a gift and many warm words about their long years of cooperation. Their greeting was followed by stellar performances, both solo and duet of Prof. Herasymenko's students, Oleh Sozanskyi and Taras Lazurkevych, winners of international competitions.

The reception that followed the concert took place at the Karpaty Ensemble's hall, where the performers had the opportunity to personally meet and greet the honoree.

Interviews and reports covering the events throughout Ukraine appeared in local newspapers, and interviews were aired on TV and radio on various broadcasts that highlight Ukrainian cultural life.

During his six weeks of travels in Ukraine, Mr. Czorny-Dosinchuk never forgot his main goal for the trip: gathering new information about bandurists in Ukraine, which he will share with readers through the quarterly Bandura magazine and his articles in the Ukrainian American and Ukrainian Canadian press.

Mr. Czorny-Dosinchuk said he believes that "The bandura is the symbol of Ukraine, second only to the trident, for we have all seen how other nationalities may try to lay claim to popular Ukrainian art forms such as pysanky, embroidery, ceramics, wood-carving. The bandura, however, will always remain uniquely Ukrainian."

(Based on reports from Ukraine compiled and translated by Lydia Matiaszek.)

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