Baritone Oleg Chmyr
NEW YORK – This fall in New York City was marked by the continuation of a music project initiated several years ago by Ukrainian opera and chamber singer Oleg Chmyr that aims to present “Ukrainian Stars in America” to audiences in the U.S.
A baritone, Mr. Chmyr is a leading soloist with the New Jersey State Opera who has performed throughout Europe and the United States and holds the title of Honored Artist of Ukraine. He is also a music educator, teaching applied voice at the County College of Morris, and an artistic director.
Soprano Oksana Krovytska
The concert of internationally known singers and musicians that took place at Merkin Hall of the Kaufman Music Center in New York on October 7 featured Mr. Chmyr, sopranos Oksana Krovytska (New York City Opera) and Marta Zalizniak (Lviv), the Ukrainian Chorus Dumka (led by music director and conductor Vasyl Hrechynsky), the Art-Strings Quartet (led by violinist Oleksander Abayev) and piano accompanist David Maiullo.
Also on the program was the Iskra Ukrainian Dance Academy of Whippany, N.J., whose artistic director is Andrij Cybyk. Sofia Shields was the concert’s master of ceremonies.
The ultimate aim of his project, according to Mr. Chmyr, is to take such concerts of renowned performers on tour to major cities across the country to showcase the rich musical heritage of Ukraine. The idea was born back in 2007 when the first concert of “Ukrainian Stars in America” was presented on October 14 at Drew University’s Dorothy Young Arts Center to mark the 25th anniversary of Mr. Chmyr’s stage career.
The Art-Strings Quartet.
The recent concert in New York City was composed of two parts: “European Classical Music,” featuring works by Mozart, Puccini, Tchaikovsky and Offenbach; and “Ukrainian Songs, Arias and Dancers” presenting music by Myroslav Skoryk, Mykola Lysenko, Semen Hulak-Artemovsky, Anatoliy Kos-Anatolsky and Maestro Hrechynsky, as well as folk music and Ukrainian dance.
Soprano Marta Zalizniak
The Iskra Ukrainian Dance Academy.