Bandura's Journey: Musical Fragments from Five Centuries

March 5, 2023
The Peggy Corkhum Music Room, Halifax, Nova Scotia
Julian Kytasty in BANDURA'S JOURNEY: Musical Fragments from Five Centuries. This program is based on Kytasty's lifetime of research in the bandura tradition, which at every level is connected to a 400-year struggle against Russian colonialism. Kytasty will present a selection of the most evocative pieces in the bandura's repertoire, and place them in Ukrainian cultural and historical context. Joining Julian Kytasty are singers Marcia Ostashewski and Alina Kuzma in a program including traditional songs, sparkling dance tunes, twentieth century bandura classics, and his own improvisations and compositions.
ABOUT JULIAN KYTASTY
Julian Kytasty is a third generation player of bandura, a plucked stringed instrument native to Ukraine. He mastered the heritage his family - refugees from Soviet and Nazi oppression - brought to North America, and expanded on it through decades of research. Today, his original creative work is laying new directions for twenty-first century bandura music.
Kytasty’s work has received international acclaim; his music was featured in The Guide, Ukraine’s 2015 Academy Awards entry, and his original compositions won the Blizzard award for Best Film Score for the National Film Board of Canada documentary, My Mother's Village (2001).
In 2021, American-born Julian Kytasty was awarded with the distinction of Заслуженний Артист України (Zasluzhenyi Artyst Ukrainy), Honoured Artist of Ukraine by President Volodymyr Zelensky.
All proceeds from the event's silent auction will go to Second Front Ukraine Foundation, a not-for-profit that sends urgently requested aid to the Ukrainian frontlines. All virtual attendees are invited to donate to secondfrontukraine.com
This event is made in collaboration with the Centre for Sound Communities and the Scotia Festival of Music.

[@vsesvit]

Truly one of the best modern Kobzars... so modest with wonderful and unique artistry ... Great voice and world class bandura player mastery of all types with deep knowledge of its roots and kobzars tragic history across russian/sovok invasion of the last 300 years...Bravissimo !!!

[@irenea7901]

Great performance including favorite classics as well as the extraordinary, exquisite pieces that one can only hear from Julian Kytasty. The grand finale beginning at 1:34 is the exquisite, haunting Lenten "Hymn to the Mother of God" where Julian is joined by Alina Kuzma & Marcia Ostashewski. Impossible not to be mesmerized by this trio's rendition. The evening ends with Oy u Luzi... Thank you Julian for an exceptional performance!