The 60-string bandura, a zither-like instrument with a crystalline tone, has been called “The Soul of Ukraine.” Formerly played by itinerant blind bards called kobzari, who served as the conscience of their nation, the bandura and its tradition were nearly extinguished over the past century due to rigorous Soviet oppression and the disruption of the Second World War. Bandura performer/vocalist Oleh Mahlay, a proud inheritor of this tradition who serves as the artistic director and conductor of the North American-based Ukrainian Bandurist Chorus, will introduce listeners to this magical instrument and its compelling history.

 

As a special bonus, the evening will also include a showing of a documentary film entitled Music of Survival: The Story of the Ukrainian Bandurist Chorus (dir. Orest Sushko, 2014; 60 min with English narration and subtitles.), which illustrates the bandurist as bard, as seer, as spiritual emissary for the soul of the Ukrainian people, then and now, in Ukraine and beyond. This film, which took 10 years to produce, was a labor of love for Orest Sushko, an Emmy-winning Hollywood re-recording mixer who has mixed seven films for director David Cronenberg, as well as films by Barry Sonnenfeld and Guillermo del Toro. More recently, Sushko was accepted as a Fulbright Specialist, and invited to Ukraine to speak on film production and post production as well as screen the film as part of Fulbright’s 25th Anniversary in Ukraine. The film was shown to wide acclaim in cities and universities across the country in the fall of 2017.