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Join us for a special Festival Edition of Bandura on Bloor taking place during the 2025 BWV Toronto Ukrainian Festival! Learn about Ukraine’s national instrument, Toronto’s rich bandura legacy and ensembles, and listen to four mesmerizing bandura performances! One show only! Sunday, September 14
1:00 PM
BWV Toronto Ukrainian Festival
Speakers Corner Pavilion
Intersection of Beresford Ave. and Bloor St. W.
Free entry!
Featured Artists:
Banduralicious
A duo of Canadian master bandurists, Borys Ostapienko & Oleksander Petlura, come together to whip up zesty musical mélanges that are Banduralicious!
Kosarenko Sisters Duet
Sisters Lesia and Solomia Kosarenko are 17. They have been playing bandura for over 9 years, and have been active members of the Vira Zelinska Youth Bandura Capella “Zoloti Struny”. Solomia and Lesia have both won awards in various music festivals such as the Marta Kravtsiv-Barabash Ukrainian Music Festival and the Kiwanis Festival, where they have earned platinum distinctions individually, as a duet, or as part of a small ensemble. They have played at different events as a duet and with the youth bandura capella, including the Bloor West Festival, the Grand Shevchenko Concert, and the charitable Marathon for the Benefit of Children in Ukraine, as well as community events at Ukrainian churches and senior homes.
Ostap Stakhiv
Ostap Stakhiw is a renowned Ukrainian bandurist and recipient of the prestigious title National Artist of Ukraine, awarded by the Ukrainian government for his exceptional contributions to the development of the performing arts. He began his professional career in 1981 as a soloist with the Lviv Philharmonic and as a member of the “Vatra” vocal-instrumental ensemble. In 1985, he became the leader and soloist of the “Drymba” folk ensemble at the Lviv Philharmonic. Three years later, in 1988, he founded and directed the “Folklore Theater of Ostap Stakhiw” in Lviv. Since 1989, Mr. Stakhiw has also been a highly respected educator, teaching bandura and vocal performance at the Lviv State Conservatory named after Mykola Lysenko. Between 1988 and 1991, he created and performed a series of original theatrical concert programs, including “Play, My Bandura” and “Hey, You, Riflemen of Sich”. Beginning in the mid-1980s, Ostap Stakhiw has proudly represented Ukraine on international stages across Europe and Asia. In 1992, he was awarded the title Honored Artist of Ukraine and conducted a major concert tour across the United States and Canada. In 2001, he performed at the World Championship of Performing Arts (WCOPA) in Los Angeles, where he won gold and silver medals for vocal performance and bandura artistry. From 2000 to 2010, Mr. Stakhiw served as the National Director of the Ukrainian delegation to WCOPA in Los Angeles (Hollywood). In 2011, he was awarded the Jubilee Medal for “20 Years of Independence of Ukraine” in honor of his continued cultural contributions. A pioneer in bridging tradition with modernity, Mr. Stakhiw has spent decades reimagining classic Ukrainian folk melodies. In 2007, he founded an orchestra of modern folk music, known for programs such as “Christmas in Lviv”, “Spirit of Ukraine”, and innovative instrumental interpretations of carols and traditional songs. Throughout his distinguished career, Mr. Stakhiw has been featured in numerous films, video productions and recordings. As active musical figure, musicologist, and bandurist, Ostap Stakhiw is a jury member of numerous festivals and competitions, and a founder of the non-profit organization BandurArts.
Victor Mishalow
Victor Mishalow was born in Sydney, Australia and began to study bandura in 1970 under Peter Deriashnyj. In 1974 he studied with Hryhory Bazhul, a former student of Hnat Khotkevych (known as the “father of the modern concert bandura”). In 1978 Mishalow received a grant from the “Australia Arts Council” enabling him to continue his studies in North America with prominent emigre bandurists, including Peter Honchanenko, Peter Kytasty, Hryhory Kytasty, Leonid Haydamaka and Vasyl Yemetz. In 1979 Victor received a scholarship to attend the Tchaikovsky Conservatory in Kyiv, where he studied with noted bandurist and professor Serhiy Bashtan. In Ukraine, he also studied with Heorhy Tkachenko, the last remaining bandurist to perform in the authentic kobzar tradition. Victor Mishalow holds a bachelor’s degree in Musicology and Ethnomusicology from the University of Sydney, and a postgraduate diploma in Music Education, A Masters in Performance from the Kyiv conservatory and a PhD from the Kharkiv Academy of Culture. In 1999 he received the tittle “Merited Artist of Ukraine” and in 2009 became a Chevalier of the Order of Merit from the Ukrainian government. He has over 100 articles and publications to his credit. He has given recitals and has made appearances in North and South America, Europe and Australia. He has appeared as instrumental soloist with the Tommy Teaco International Orchestra in Sydney, Orchestra Toronto, Counterpoint Symphony Orchestra and various other performing ensembles.
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Event Venue & Nearby Stays
Speakers Corner Pavillion, 257 Beresford Ave, Toronto, ON M6S 3B4, Canada
