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.

Participants at the August rehearsal in Emlenton, Pennsylvania

Participants at the August rehearsal in Emlenton, Pennsylvania


Participants at the August rehearsal in Emlenton, Pennsylvania
Organization
The WBE is comprised of about twenty members from the USA and Canada, and is divided into four Regional Ensembles:
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Chicago
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East Coast: Hartford/New York
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Toronto
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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
Artistic Council
Natalka Gil
Teryn Kuzma
Krystina Lewicki
Executive Board
Communications Coordinator: Alina Kuzma.
Director of Fundraising: Motria Caudill
Director of Membership: Christina Hlutkowsky.

Photo: Artem Getman