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The Ensemble

The mission of the Women's Bandura Ensemble is to bring together talented, female bandurists in order to showcase the instrument, maintain musical traditions and to foster new creative directions and artistry.

The Women's Bandura Ensemble of North America (Ukrainian: Ансамбль Бандуристок Північної Америки) works not only to preserve the bandura tradition, but to update it, exploring the instrument’s rich artistic possibilities – from the Baroque to contemporary, to ancient melodies. 

 

The WBE is committed to involving youth in the bandura movement. Its members teach privately, at bandura camps and workshops.

The Ukrainian Musical Tradition

Thanks to extensive ethnographic research, both folk and art music are well-documented, giving musicians access to a rich musical history. Through these melodies, one accesses the collective consciousness of a nation, as it evolves from fields, to villages, to industrialized cities and the global stage.

Organization

The WBE is comprised of about twenty members from the USA and Canada, and is divided into four Regional Ensembles:

 

  • Chicago

  • East Coast: Hartford/New York

  • Toronto

  • Midwest: Cleveland/Detroit/Pittsburgh

 

The Regional Ensembles engage in public outreach and local performances. Recent auditionees are often first marked as 'regional' members, which allows them to rehearse with these smaller groups in order to prepare them to join the larger group. 

 

Structure of our Ensemble

The Women's Bandurist Ensemble is led by the Artistic Council and Executive Committee. The Artistic Council guides the WBE's general musical direction, including choosing repertoire and leading rehearsals. 

 

Artistic Directors: Oksana Rodak and Oksana Zelinska

WBE President: Irene Kytasty Kuzma

Treasurer: Christina Jamharian

Treasurer's Assistant: Adriana Tuz

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Artistic Council

Natalka Gil

Teryn Kuzma

Krystina Lewicki

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Executive Board

Communications Coordinator: Alina Kuzma.

Director of Fundraising: Motria Caudill

Director of Membership: Christina Hlutkowsky.

       

 

Photo: Artem Getman

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