Renowned Ukrainian-American composer and bandurist Julian Kytasty will perform in concert on Saturday, Jan. 30 at 8 p.m. in the Carleton College Concert Hall. Described as “the finest representative of the Kobzar tradition in the Western Hemisphere,” Kytasty is internationally acclaimed for his work on the bandura, a lute-like, plucked string instrument that can have up to 68 strings and is considered to be the Ukrainian national musical instrument. This rare concert appearance is free and open to the public.
In the middle ages, the bandura became prominent in the courts of Eastern Europe where it was primarily used as an accompaniment to song and dance. It was also popular among the Ukrainian Kozaks from whose ranks rose a new kind of Ukrainian professional musician called the Kobzari, who developed a unique form of song known as the “duma,” literally translated as “thought” or “reflection.” The dumy (plural for duma) were sung while accompanied by a bandura and depicted the heroic exploits of the Ukrainian Kosaks and their quest for peace and freedom.
Born in Detroit, Michigan, in a family of Ukrainian refugees, as a child Kytasty studied with the Ukrainian Bandurist Chorus, in which his father, uncles and grandfather played in and conducted before him. In the 1980s, Kytasty moved to New York City and later founded the New York Bandura Ensemble and began a career as a solo arts and bandura teacher that has taken him all over the world.
Kytasty is also credited with creating and conducting avant-garde music for instrumental groups, choirs, and music for theatrical performances, notably for New York’s Yara Arts Group. He has recorded for London’s November Music Label: “Black Sea Winds: Music of the Kobzari of Ukraine,” and has collaborated with Canadian singer Alexis Kochan and Chinese pipa player Wu Man, and with his own group, The Experimental Bandura Trio.
In addition to being an internationally acclaimed composer, performer and storyteller, Kytasty is a popular speaker on the bandura and its tradition and has appeared at many universities including Yale, Harvard, Wesleyan, and the University of California.
This event is co-sponsored by the Carleton College Department of Russian, Arts at Carleton, and the Christopher U. Light Lectureship series, created in 1985 by Mr. Light, a member of the Carleton Class of 1958. Among his many interests, Mr. Light is a freelance writer, composer, record producer, and musician with interest in computers and music. This series has brought a variety of renowned artists to Carleton College, including the Kronos Quartet, the Bang on a Can All-Stars, The Bad Plus, and Josh Ritter and The Royal City Band.
For more information, including disability accommodations, call (507) 222-4236. The Concert Hall is located on First Street between Nevada and Winona Streets in Northfield.
