The Ensemble

The mission of the Women's Bandura Ensemble of North America 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 ensemble was formed in 2015 and held its inaugural rehearsal weekend at Kobzarska Sich Bandura Camp.

The WBENA is committed to involving youth in the bandura movement. Its members teach privately throughout the year, at summer bandura camps, and at 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.

Structure of our Ensemble

The Women's Bandura Ensemble of North America is led by the Executive Committee and the Artistic Council.

President: Irene Kytasty Kuzma

President-Elect: Christina Hlutkowsky

Artistic Directors: Oksana Rodak and Oksana Zelinska

Executive Committee

Director of Communications/PR: Adriana Tuz

Director of Fundraising: Motria Caudill

Director of Membership: Christina Hlutkowsky

Treasurer:

Member At Large: Taisa Kulyk

Member At Large: Solomia Stakhiv

Artistic Council

Concertmaster: Teryn Kytasty Kuzma

Member At Large: Krystina Lewicki

Member At Large: Khrystyna Musiy

Photo: Artem Getman

Regions

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

Chicago
East Coast: Boston/Hartford/New York
Mid Atlantic: Philadelphia, New Jersey, DC
Toronto

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.

Participants at the August rehearsal in Emlenton, Pennsylvania

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