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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
http://www.day.kiev.ua/DIGEST/2003/06/issue.htm
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