John Pidkowich for NP-UN, Toronto.
There are many fine recital or concert performances in and around Toronto. One of the year's most enjoyable and inspiring occasions is to watch and listen to young talented music students on stage rise to the difficult challenge of performing from memory arranged folk and composed classical Ukrainian music. The 47th Annual Marta Krawciw-Barabash Ukrainian Music Festival was held December 1, 2 and 3, 2017, at Toronto’s Ukrainian National Federation Community Centre, concluding with the Concert of Finalists in the UNF Trident Hall.
The 2017 Festival had over 150 children age five and up performing music of Ukrainian composers (or arrangements) in solo (and duet) instrumental, ensemble instrumental, solo vocal and choir competitions. Open to the public, participants were both of Ukrainian heritage and non-Ukrainian background. The Festival generally draws participants from the Toronto Area and Southern Ontario. Of note, more U.S. music students have been travelling to Toronto to perform, up from last year to nine, representing Georgia, Illinois, and Michigan.
The late Marta Krawciw-Barabash was the Ukrainian Music Festival’s founder, established in 1970. In her own right she was an accomplished pianist and teacher, dedicated to educate young musicians to master the works of Ukrainian composers. Her love of Ukrainian music and work went well beyond the Festival itself to include the UMF promotion of many concerts.
The 2017 Ukrainian Music Festival was dedicated to celebrate Ukrainian composers Victor Kosenko (1896-1938) and Mykola Lysenko (1842-1912), marking the 175th Anniversary of his birth. Known as the “Father of Ukrainian Music”, Lysenko was a concert pianist and composed music for piano, string instruments, wrote 120 art songs and opera, and arranged sacred and secular choral works. He also was one of the first Ukrainian ethnologists who travelled Ukraine extensively to gather and then arranged some 500 Ukrainian folk songs, music characteristic to the country’s regions, and who laid the groundwork for the field of Ethnomusicology. The likes of conductor Oleksandr Koshetz studied under Lysenko and continued the fine tradition of Ukrainian choral music: composer of sacred liturgical works and arranger of popular folk songs still heard today. Kosenko taught and performed piano, and composed piano, chamber and vocal music. He wrote orchestral works, tone poems and “Twenty Four Children's Pieces” for piano, a series that teaches tonal structure and character.
In recent festival years, the UMF has been dedicated to pianist and composer Vasyl Barvinsky, bandura virtuoso Hnat Khotkevych, composer and educator Yakiv Stepovyi, Ukrainian Canadian composers such as Larysa Kuzmenko, Zenoby Lawryshyn, Vasyl Sydorenko, and Anatoly Zytkevych (who attended the festival), and to the 125th Anniversary of Ukrainian Settlement in Canada celebrated in 2016.
This year, the esteemed jury of festival adjudicators was comprised of: Ireneus Zuk (concert pianist, Professor and Associate Director of the Dan School of Drama and Music, Queen's University) – piano classes; Halyna Kvitka Kondracki (conductor, Vesnivka Choir) – vocal and choir classes; and Andriy Dmytrovych (music teacher, orchestra and choir conductor) – violin and bandura classes.
New at this year's Festival was the opportunity for participants to perform on the late Irena Bubniuk's Steinway grand piano. A notable Canadian pianist and teacher, Irena Bubniuk wished for her Steinway to be available within the Ukrainian community for use in rehearsals, recitals, and concerts. The Ukrainian Canadian Congress has entrusted the UNF Toronto and Vesnivka Choir to house and care for the bequeathed Steinway.
At the UMF Concert of Finalists, performances of festival pieces adjudicated with qualifying high marks were represented by all ages and categories of classes. Twenty-seven scholarship awards were given for piano solo and duet; instrumental bandura solo; violin solo; vocal; choir; and bandura and violin ensemble playing. All registered festival participants were presented with a certificate of participation.
Top scholarship awards went to performers who earned the Festival’s highest marks: the Marta Krawciw-Barabash Piano Award was received by Zenia Gore (Georgia, USA) – performing Choven khytaet’sya by M. Krawciw-Barabash; Mary Pidkowich Violin Award to Julia Perekhozhuk (Illinois, USA) – Melodiya by M. Skoryk, Gloria Sophia Verhovsky – Toccata by M. Lysenko, and to the “Violin Ensemble” led by teacher Oksana Konopada – Koliada arr. S. Kushiruk; Vera Zelinska Memorial Award for Bandura to Mychailo Panchenko – Ukrains’ka Fantasia by O. Nezovybat’ko, and Alicia Osaveliuk – Khvylyna rozpachu by M. Lysenko; and the Ron Cahute Music Award for Voice went to Anna Tanchak – Viyut’ vitry arr. M. Lysenko/lyrics M. Churay, and Sofia Haluschak – Syple snih by I. Bilyk/lyrics M. Pidhiryanka .
Special awards from the Myron Barabash Memorial Scholarship Fund were given to the Holy Dormition of the Mother of God Church Children’s Choir, Nadiya Korol, Conductor – including liturgical works and Schedryk by M. Leontovych, and to the Vera Zelinsky Youth Bandurist Capella “Zoloti Struny”, Artistic Director Oksana Zelinsky Shevchuk – Pisnia pro Ukrainu (M. Motyka); Verkhovyno (folk song/arr. Y. Petlyura); and Dyvo-struny (I. Levitova/lyrics A. Demydenko. Other U.S. finalists who performed at the concert from piano solo classes are Ana Gore (Georgia) – Mazurka by V. Kosenko, Andriy Pasichnyk – Eskiz-intermezzo by M. Lysenko, and Andriy Shturko – Elegia by M. Lysenko (both from Michigan).
The Prometheus Stephan Onyszczuk and Stefania Szwed Foundation, Shevchenko Foundation, Ukrainian Credit Union, Buduchnist Credit Union, Stephan Caras Design Inc. have been major sponsors for many years, and together with Delores Buka Huculak, Maria Lisowsky and others, have provided very generous financial support towards the scholarship awards presented. This is most appreciated considering that the Festival is run on a very tight budget to keep operating costs at a minimum. Offerings of scholarships to encourage young performers to further their music education are most welcomed.
As a testament to Prof. Krawciw-Barabash's legacy, the Festival’s continued development as a means for young music students success in personal achievement, cultural growth, and promotion of Ukrainian music is due now, in large part, to the contribution of the dedicated and hardworking UMF Organizing Committee: Marta Chomyn and Irena Patten – co-chairs, Olya Bileychuk, Halyna Dziuryn, Nadiya Korol, Mika Shepherd and Anna Wasylyk, supported by a large contingent of committed volunteer members. According to Marta Chomyn, the Festival is a wonderful opportunity for children to prepare for the challenge and discipline to perform music on stage, learn about Ukrainian music, and listen to new music performed by other hard-working participants. These steps point in the direction of an appreciation of Ukrainian music, better identification with Ukrainian culture, and later could lead to greater involvement in a broader Ukrainian community.
The UMF's success remains not only tied to dedicated educators, devoted parents, committed volunteers and sponsors, but of course, is contingent upon students who practise hard over many hours. The UMF's main purpose is to promote Ukrainian culture by providing an opportunity for children to perform music by Ukrainian and Ukrainian-Canadian composers. There are over 20 UMF publications for music students and the general public, including Prof. Krawciw-Barabash’s own compositions, music handbooks, and the 11 volume Z. Lys’ko Ukrainian Folk Melodies. Teachers and participants are welcome to choose these works to perform at the Festival and are available. Visit the UMF website at www.ukrainianmusicfestival.com.
Work has already begun on next year’s 48th Ukrainian Music Festival, November 30, December 1 and 2, 2018. The 2018 UMF is dedicated to the works of Ukrainian Canadian composer Zenoby Lawryshyn who passed away in early 2017. A Tribute Concert commemorating the First Anniversary of his Death will be held on February 4, 2018 at Humber Valley United Church, 76 Anglesey Blvd. in Toronto.
For more information about the Ukrainian Music Festival, visit www.ukrainianmusicfestival.com or email [email protected]
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