Young Bandurists
Participate in 67th Kiwanis Music Festival 2010
By Mary Pidkowich
The 67th Kiwanis Music Festival of Greater Toronto was
held from February 16 to 27 at 20 venues around
The aim of the Festival is to give the
opportunity to young performers to express their talents in music, speech arts
and dance. Within vocal and instrumental music disciplines, classes are held
for piano, strings, woodwinds, brass, guitar, school and community choirs,
orchestras and bands. The Festival is a showcase of talent before a live
audience and adjudication by a professional of the highest calibre.
This year, two bandura classes – Bandura Solo
Age 15 & Under and Bandura Solo Age 17 & Under – were held
on February 20 at the St. Bonaventure Parish Centre. Bandura participants were
Natalia Ogrodnik, Oksana Kilik, Adriana Tuz, Michael Kit, Peter Binczarowski
and Simon Dolega, who played musical medleys of Ukrainian folk melodies.
Adjudicator Dr. Raymond Sealy is a guitar performer, composer, producer and
former Executive Director of L’orchestre de chambre I Musici de Montreal.
He gave the highest marks to Natalia Ogrodnik and Simon Dolega who for their
performances received scholarships from the Pidkowich Bandura Award.
These scholarships are more than to recognize talent; they are to further
encouragement of their talent. More donors of scholarships would be welcomed so
as to continue bandura classes in the Kiwanis Music Festival.
Each performance in the Festival begins taking
shape months even years before the event not only for practising students and
their caring parents, but also for dedicated teachers such as Vera Zelinska.
She has taught bandura to hundreds of students and in the last ten years,
prepared 56 children from 12-17 years-old to take part in bandura classes at
the Kiwanis Festival. Entries were in solo, duet and trio bandura classes. In
2007, a bandura trio was asked to perform at the Festival’s prestigious President’s
Trophy Competition final concert held at St. James Cathedral. Also, that
same year, under the musical direction of Vera Zelinska, Zoloti struny
or the Golden Strings Bandura Ensemble comprising of 25 players took
part in the Festival.
Vera Zelinska’s other bandura activities must be
noted. Under her directorship, Bandura Summer Camps were held in Acton, Ont in
2001, in Grafton, Ont. in 2002 and in
Due to generous sponsorship by the Ukrainian
Credit Union Ltd., Buduchnist Credit Union, and individual donors, the Golden
Strings Bandura Ensemble (also known as Zoloti Struny) has given
concerts in
The continued success of the Kiwanis Music
Festival is due not only to donations made by foundations, corporations and
Boards of Education. Hosting Toronto-area Kiwanis clubs as well as individuals
have made generous financial contributions toward scholarships which this year
totalled $45,000. Also valued for their contribution in kind, 400 volunteers
have offered their time. Special recognition is paid to 100 Keynotes who act as
Adjudicator Assistants during the Festival and provide an invaluable contribution
throughout the year.
For further information regarding the Festival,
volunteer work and scholarship donations, please contact The Kiwanis Music
Festival of Greater Toronto,
For information about Zoloti struny or the
Golden Strings Bandura Ensemble and bandura playing lessons, visit
web-site www.banduramusic.com .
Mary Pidkowich, BA, B. Paed., AMM, ARCT is a former music
consultant for the Toronto Board of Education and, Honorary Member and Past
President of Keynotes.