EMLENTON, Pa. – Aspiring bandura players and long-time bandura enthusiasts will converge this August 5-19 at All Saints Camp in Emlenton, Pa. Since 1979, over 1,000 bandurists have made Kobzarska Sich (KS) a temporary home in their musical journey. KS is organized by the Ukrainian Bandurist Chorus of North America.
This year, participants will have an opportunity to learn from Oleh Sozansky and Taras Lazurkevych of Lviv, both Merited Artists of Ukraine and well-known for their “Bandurna Rozmova” duet. As co-music directors and conductors of KS 2017, Messrs. Sozansky and Lazurkevych will lead a talented line-up of bandura and choral instructors from the Ukrainian Bandurist Chorus, the Canadian Bandurist Capella and the Women’s Bandura Ensemble.
Designed for children age 12 and older, as well as adults of all ages, KS teaches the technique of playing bandura, bandura history and elementary music theory (as needed), while working in small groups and ensembles. Participants prepare for a final concert to be held on the last day of the program, August 19.
Plenty of free time is built into the program in order for participants and staff to collaborate musically and develop lifelong friendships. As is the case at other cultural, music and youth group camps, attendees converge from all over North America.
For the past two years, the Kobzarska Sich administration and directors have initiated multiple opportunities for KS participants to showcase their bandura and choral talents outside the borders of Emlenton. In January of this year, the KS 2016 ensemble presented the “Ukrainian Winter Evenings” concert in Chicago to a capacity audience and took part in traditional caroling throughout Chicago’s Ukrainian Village, in addition to short performances at the St. Joseph the Betrothed Ukrainian Catholic Church.
KS is offering five scholarships this year. One full scholarship will be available through the Ivan Zinchuk Memorial Scholarship Fund at the Ukrainian Canadian Foundation of Taras Shevchenko and the second through the Volodymyr and Vera Murha Scholarship Fund. Additionally, partial scholarships will be available through the Eugene Ciura and Stefania Krislaty funds, and from private donor support. Scholarships applications must be received by June 15.
Interested participants are encouraged to enroll early to ensure placement. For more information, scholarship requirements and a registration package, visit www.bandura.org or contact the administrator of Kobzarska Sich, Anatoli Murha, at 734-658-6452 or [email protected].