Stand With Ukraine

Like us, you’ve seen the news and it’s been heartbreaking to watch what’s happening in Ukraine. Well we want to help too.

On Friday, April 8th Pooja and Gurdeep were live from Yonge-Dundas Square with the Vesnivka Choir, Canada’s pre-eminent Ukrainian choir, members of the Toronto Ukrainian Male Chamber Choir and Canadian Bandurist Capella to help support the people of Ukraine. Through the power of music and song, they performed “Prayer for Ukraine”. This patriotic Ukrainian hymn published in 1885, has become a spiritual anthem of Ukraine. The song was broadcasted over 98.1 CHFI, and was a very special moment. If you missed it we have it here:

In every conflict, the Red Cross is a beacon of safety. In response to the recent escalation, the Ukrainian Red Cross Society has scaled up efforts to meet urgent needs across the country.

Money raised will enable the Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement to respond to humanitarian needs generated by almost eight years of conflict, as well as preparedness and response efforts due to heightened tensions in Ukraine.

Text the word ROGERS to 20222 to donate $5 now, or make a larger donation at www.redcross.ca/UkraineCrisis/Rogers

You can also donate to the Canada-Ukraine Foundation and support #helpUkraineNow through their Humanitarian Appeal.  The CUF has delivered millions in aid to some of the hardest-hit cities in the north, east and south of Ukraine.  The Ukraine Humanitarian Appeal has also delivered aid to Ukrainian displaced persons in Romania and Moldova.

We’d like to give a special thank you to the Vesnivka Choir, Canada’s pre-eminent Ukrainian choir, members of the Toronto Ukrainian Male Chamber Choir and Canadian Bandurist Capella for lending their beautiful voices to sing a “A Prayer For Ukraine”.  All three groups have a rich history in promoting Ukrainian music and culture.  Learn more about each group below!

VESNIVKA CHOIR

VESNIVKA CHOIR of Toronto is Canada’s pre-eminent Ukrainian women’s choir.  It has developed a reputation for musical excellence, high professional standards and quality of repertoire.  Halyna Kvitka Kondracki founded the choir in 1965 and has been the sole conductor since its inception.   During its 57-year history, this ensemble has earned much critical acclaim both internationally and in Canada, including First Prize in the Folk Competition at the prestigious International Eisteddfod in Llangollen, North Wales, several First-Place honours in the cultural category of the CBC National Choral Competition and a silver medal in the “Folklore a cappella” category at the Choir Olympics 2000 held in Linz, Austria.

Vesnivka Choir has performed on concert stages around the world, including:  New York’s Carnegie Hall, Royal Albert Hall in London, England, and St. Peter’s Basilica and the Papal Auditorium in the Vatican City, as well as various venues in North and South America, England, Wales, and throughout Europe, including Germany, Italy, Spain, The Netherlands, Poland, Portugal and Ukraine.

Learn more about Vesnivka Choir HERE!

TORONTO UKRAINIAN MALE CHAMBER CHOIR

Halyna Kvitka Kondracki is founding director/conductor of Toronto’s award-winning Vesnivka Choir as well as conductor of the Toronto Ukrainian Male Chamber Choir.  A graduate of University of Toronto’s Faculty of Music, this accomplished musician and talented conductor has helped create a vibrant choral tradition in Canada and abroad. Ms. Kondracki strongly supports Ukrainian-Canadian musicians and composers, many of whom call Ontario their home, by commissioning works and by promoting their performances and music.

Her professional affiliations include being a charter member and President of the Ukrainian Canadian Choral Federation, as well as memberships in Association of Canadian Choral Conductors and the American Choral Directors Association. Kondracki spearheaded the formation of the Ukrainian Canadian National Arts Council. For several years, Kondracki has been an adjudicator at the annual Ukrainian Music Festival in Toronto. Thoughout the years, Ms. Kondracki has worked closely with other Canadian choirs and conductors –  including Amadeus Choir, Orpheus Choir (Robert Cooper), Elmer Iseler Singers (Lydia Adams) as well as Gryphon Trio.

In 2001, Kondracki founded the Toronto Ukrainian Male Chamber Choir (TUMCC), thus allowing Vesnivka to expand its repertoire to include music for mixed choir and provide audiences with new musical experiences.

Learn more about TUMCC HERE!

CANADIAN BANDURIST CAPELLA   

The Canadian Bandurist Capella is a male bandurist chorus founded in June 2001 by a group of likeminded individuals whose goal is to promote Ukrainian music and culture. The group showcases powerful male voices accompanied by the rich sound of the contemporary bandura, the Ukrainian national instrument.

Over its 20+ year history, the Canadian Bandurist Capella has performed in venues across Canada and the US. The Capella has participated at various festivals in Montreal, Ottawa and Toronto, most notable at the Canadian National Exhibition, and at Canada’s National Ukrainian Festival in Dauphin, Manitoba. In May 2019 the Canadian Bandurist Capella under the direction of Julian Kytasty Musical Director embarked on an ambitious tour of central and western Canada performing its successful Crossroads Concert series in 10 major Canadian cities.  It has collaborated with many highly acclaimed ensembles and soloists, including the Ukrainian Bandurist Chorus, Vesnivka Choir and Toronto Ukrainian Chamber Chorus, Pavlo Hunka, Myroslava Solovianenko, Maria Cherwick, Oleh Sozansky, Ruslana Voyt, Volodymyr Voyt and Viera Zmiyiwsky.

The Capella’s mission is to explore the full potential and versatility of the modern bandura within the male choral ensemble, to bring together individuals who are committed to advancing choral-bandura music while respecting its rich history, and to promote and popularize the bandura within the Ukrainian community and beyond by maintaining high standards of artistry, musicianship and performance.

Learn more about the Canadian Bandurist Capella HERE!