Post by Bandura on Jan 21, 2006 16:25:06 GMT -5
www.artukraine.com/kobzars/kobz_cont.htm
By Tetiana Polishchuk
The Day, Kyiv, Ukraine
February 18, 2003
The contest had a difficult start, and not only due to financial difficulties. The issue of cost is a common problem for most contests. The shortcomings of national legislation have made sponsorship and philanthropy unpopular in Ukraine. The Ministry of Culture itself struggles financially within the current system. Regrettably, organizing committees are forced to seek funding from other sources.
From the outset, the first kobzar contest was planned as an international event. Guests were expected to come from the US, Canada, and Russia. However, for various reasons foreign bandura players failed to show up. It could not be helped. The organizers had to change the contest status and prepare new diplomas. "As the Cossacks used to say: there will be no wind, we have to row with our hands," said jury head Volodymyr Yesypok, who heads the All-Ukrainian Association of Kobzars.
A total of 45 Ukrainian musicians and singers showed their skills. New names to the scene also performed. We listened to some talented young performers. For instance, first prize for Singer - Bandura Player (Traditional Instruments) category went to Taras Kompanychenko from Kyiv, an accomplished musician who impressed the audience with his subtle interpretations of folk music. In the three stages of technical routine Taras performed pieces of various genres: cantos, odes, and lyric songs, each piece resembling a miniature performance.
If there had been an audience award it would definitely go to young Dmytro Hubyak from Lviv who won first prize in the Singer - Bandura Player (Modern Bandura) category. Dmytro not only sings and plays beautifully, but he also composes music, continuing the traditions of kobzars and combining ancient and modern techniques in his compositions.
Meanwhile, passions ran high backstage. Some of the contestants were students of jury members who could not resist the temptation to favor their disciples. As a result, one jury member slammed the door, not willing to participate in the awards ceremony. Toward the end of the day passions died down. The organizers, however, decided not to award the Grand Prize for want of a unanimous decision. Likewise, first prizes were not given away in the categories of Ensembles and Female Singer - Bandura Player (Modern Bandura). Second prize went to the Lvivyanka Quartet. Two more vocalists, Olena Kushnir (Lviv) and Iryna Rudzyk (Lutsk) also received awards.
"The finalists' performance was recorded onto an 80-minute compact disk. They are planning to tour major cities in Ukraine. But what matters most is the fact that kobzar traditions are continued, with both professionals and amateurs playing the bandura," says Volodymyr Yesypok. "Scores of kobzars-soloists, trios, quartets, and ensembles have mushroomed across Ukraine. There are numerous clubs, schools, lyceums, and departments of folk instruments (at the National Academy of Music, University of Culture, pedagogical institutes) where students master the kobza, lyre, and bandura. There are bandura schools abroad, notably in Detroit, Toronto, and Kuban.
The bandura is not an archaic instrument. It is reassuring to see that it is popular among the young. To illustrate, the children's ensemble Sokolyky [young falcons] participated in the contest. Eight to ten generations have grown up in this ensemble. And even if not all the boys have become professional musicians, I am sure they will preserve their love of music for the rest of their lives. The kobzar repertoire is closely linked with the school curriculum: the history of Ukraine, natural history, literature, and music."
With the vast variety of instruments on offer, playing the bandura has become increasingly difficult. One can choose anything between simple kobzas and such modern banduras which can take up to twenty years to master. On these instruments, one can perform both folk music and complex classical and modern pieces by Ukrainian and foreign composers.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Day, Kyiv, Ukraine, February 18, 2003
www.day.kiev.ua/DIGEST/2003/06/issue.htm
By Tetiana Polishchuk
The Day, Kyiv, Ukraine
February 18, 2003
The contest had a difficult start, and not only due to financial difficulties. The issue of cost is a common problem for most contests. The shortcomings of national legislation have made sponsorship and philanthropy unpopular in Ukraine. The Ministry of Culture itself struggles financially within the current system. Regrettably, organizing committees are forced to seek funding from other sources.
From the outset, the first kobzar contest was planned as an international event. Guests were expected to come from the US, Canada, and Russia. However, for various reasons foreign bandura players failed to show up. It could not be helped. The organizers had to change the contest status and prepare new diplomas. "As the Cossacks used to say: there will be no wind, we have to row with our hands," said jury head Volodymyr Yesypok, who heads the All-Ukrainian Association of Kobzars.
A total of 45 Ukrainian musicians and singers showed their skills. New names to the scene also performed. We listened to some talented young performers. For instance, first prize for Singer - Bandura Player (Traditional Instruments) category went to Taras Kompanychenko from Kyiv, an accomplished musician who impressed the audience with his subtle interpretations of folk music. In the three stages of technical routine Taras performed pieces of various genres: cantos, odes, and lyric songs, each piece resembling a miniature performance.
If there had been an audience award it would definitely go to young Dmytro Hubyak from Lviv who won first prize in the Singer - Bandura Player (Modern Bandura) category. Dmytro not only sings and plays beautifully, but he also composes music, continuing the traditions of kobzars and combining ancient and modern techniques in his compositions.
Meanwhile, passions ran high backstage. Some of the contestants were students of jury members who could not resist the temptation to favor their disciples. As a result, one jury member slammed the door, not willing to participate in the awards ceremony. Toward the end of the day passions died down. The organizers, however, decided not to award the Grand Prize for want of a unanimous decision. Likewise, first prizes were not given away in the categories of Ensembles and Female Singer - Bandura Player (Modern Bandura). Second prize went to the Lvivyanka Quartet. Two more vocalists, Olena Kushnir (Lviv) and Iryna Rudzyk (Lutsk) also received awards.
"The finalists' performance was recorded onto an 80-minute compact disk. They are planning to tour major cities in Ukraine. But what matters most is the fact that kobzar traditions are continued, with both professionals and amateurs playing the bandura," says Volodymyr Yesypok. "Scores of kobzars-soloists, trios, quartets, and ensembles have mushroomed across Ukraine. There are numerous clubs, schools, lyceums, and departments of folk instruments (at the National Academy of Music, University of Culture, pedagogical institutes) where students master the kobza, lyre, and bandura. There are bandura schools abroad, notably in Detroit, Toronto, and Kuban.
The bandura is not an archaic instrument. It is reassuring to see that it is popular among the young. To illustrate, the children's ensemble Sokolyky [young falcons] participated in the contest. Eight to ten generations have grown up in this ensemble. And even if not all the boys have become professional musicians, I am sure they will preserve their love of music for the rest of their lives. The kobzar repertoire is closely linked with the school curriculum: the history of Ukraine, natural history, literature, and music."
With the vast variety of instruments on offer, playing the bandura has become increasingly difficult. One can choose anything between simple kobzas and such modern banduras which can take up to twenty years to master. On these instruments, one can perform both folk music and complex classical and modern pieces by Ukrainian and foreign composers.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Day, Kyiv, Ukraine, February 18, 2003
www.day.kiev.ua/DIGEST/2003/06/issue.htm