Art Form: Ukrainian bandura music
Location(s): Metro Detroit (Wayne County)
Ukrainian Bandurist Chorus
Ukrainian Bandurist Chorus members practicing
The Ukrainian Bandurist Chorus (UBC) was originally formed in 1918 in Poltava, Ukraine, when a group of bandura players were first united into an ensemble by Vasyl Yemets as the "Kobzar Choir." The group immigrated to the Detroit area after World War II, as Ukrainians were facing Soviet persecution. Noting the significane of the bandura in Ukrainian culture, UBC member Bohdan Pryjma writes,"The bandura is the instrument that best embodies the voice and soul of Ukraine. From a musical perspective, the bandura unifies acoustic principles of both the lute and the harp. This produces a sound that is emphatic and gentle, resembling that of a harpsichord, but with a wide range of dynamics and tonal control. The bandura’s development and history closely reflects that of the Ukrainian nation, dating back centuries, and is considered by many to be the national instrument of Ukraine."
The UBC is one of the main community building forces for Ukrainians and others of Eastern European descent in Metro Detroit, gathering hundreds of people for their regular performances at the Ukrainian-American Museum and Archives in Detroit, Ukrainian Cultural Center in Warren, Immaculate Conception Ukrainian Catholic Church in Hamtramck, Max M. and Marjorie S. Fisher Music Center of Detroit Orchestra Hall, and many more. Currently, the ensemble is comprised of 50 male members between the ages of 18 and 70, both bandura players and singers. Some of the current Chorus members are third generation bandurists.
Education is a core principle of the UBC. They sponsor a summer bandura camp in Pennsylvania, whereby a new generation of young musicians are taught bandura by many of UBC’s instrumentalists. The camp provides a unique space for building a community of young bandura players, and brings together the best musicians of this tradition, recognized by the community. The UBC also plays a prominent role with outreach programs, often performing to classes of children and teaching them the role that the bandura plays in the sphere of Ukrainian music. Very few members of the Ukrainian Bandurist Chorus have formal classical education in music. The majority of the musicians reached high level of skill through taking private classes from the local bandurists in the Ukrainian diaspora, Bandura School of Detroit for new bandura students, and with the Kobzarska Sich Bandura Camp.
For a full century, the Ukrainian Bandurist Chorus has preserved and promoted the art of bandura. As a tribute to its role in preserving and perpetuating the legacy of Ukrainian music, the UBC was selected by Ukraine’s Council of Ministers as the recipient of the 1992 Taras Shevchenko Ukrainian State Prize, the highest award that can be bestowed for excellence in the contribution to the arts. The award was presented to the UBC by Leonid Kravchuk, then president of Ukraine. They have produced an extensive discography and toured North America, Australia, Europe, and Ukraine having performed at such well-known concert venues as Carnegie Hall, the Kyiv Opera House, Kennedy Center, the Notre Dame Cathedral and Massey Hall. They have also performed for such notable personalities as former President Richard Nixon, former President Ronald Reagan, movie star Jack Palance, former Presidents of Ukraine Leonid Kravchuk and Viktor Yushchenko. The UBC was featured in the internationally renowned Stratford Summer Music Festival in Stratford, Canada, in 2004 and 2010.
Lead by Artistic Director and Conductor Oleh Mahlay, the UBC continues to share their skill and knowledge through ongoing international concerts, an educational program for youth, producing new recordings, and connecting with new talent. Intense passion for music by its members is united behind the common goal to extend the tradition of its predecessors, kobzari, by producing memorable performances on the world stage and at home in Michigan.
- Micah Ling and Iryna Voloshyna, 2022
