Viktor Mishalow
The
New Pathway presents an exclusive interview between freelance writer Roman
Smilka and world reknowned bandurist Viktor Mishalow.
Roman
Smilka: Victor, What are you doing now?
Viktor
Mishalow: Over the
past few years I have been very involved with the establishment of the
Toronto Bandurist Capella. Most of my energies have been placed into developing
a solid performance foundation and repertoire for the group. On a personal
note I am preparing for a tour of Australia in July with a few concerts
in Ontario. I am also recording a new CD and finishing the editing of the
second volume of bandura works by Hnat Khotkevych, which is being published
in Kharkiv.
How
do you see the Capella in today’s Ukrainian Society?
The
style of music that the Toronto Bandurist Capella performs is akin to various
other popular forms of music. There exist symphony orchestras, chamber
orchestras, concert bands, big bands and various types of choirs. A bandurist
capella is similar but is different in that it is a uniquely Ukrainian
form of concert ensemble which is not immediately transferable from any
other culture. It combines a male choral tradition with that of a uniquely
Ukrainian folk instrument – the bandura.
In
Ukraine in the late 20s this form of music was extremely popular. There
were over 900 bandurist capellas in existence, not only in Ukraine but
also in areas where many Ukrainians lived such as the cities of Moscow,
Rostov and Leningrad. All of these ensembles were disbanded by the soviet
government in 1934 because of their perceived relationship to Ukrainian
national awareness.
A
handful of bandurists capellas were re-established in 1935, but from that
year they were directly controlled by the government and were restricted
in their operations and in particular, in their repertoire.
I
strongly believe that bandurist capellas should exist and should be established
and supported in all Ukrainian centres here in the diaspora. They not only
have a very strong educational value but also fulfil a great need within
the Ukrainian community.
What
has the Toronto Capella done over the past two years?
Initially,
when we sought to re-establish the TBC two years ago we had 11 bandurists
and 8 singers. This has grown to 18 musicians and 35 singers. A studio
has also been established in association with the Capella to train bandurists
for the future. Currently there are some 11 young bandurists in training.
The capella has had a total of 138 rehearsals and performed at 26 concerts
of which 6 have been independent concerts. Most of these performances have
taken place primarily in Toronto and its environs – Oshawa, Hamilton, St
Catharines, and further afield to Sudbury and Windsor. We have just incorporated
as a not-for-profit charity that will allow us to provide donors with a
tax receipt. We’re also preparing for our first ever Annual General Meeting.
Has
the audience influenced the music you play?
To
a certain extent – Yes. Usually the repertoire is selected to be performed
at the various concerts taking place in our society – primarily concerts
to mark the Shevchenko Commemoration, Heroes Day, Heroines Day, Ukrainian
Independence Day, and the Christmas festivities. Apart from that we try
to also include Ukrainian folk songs, with special attention to Kozak folk
songs and songs from Lemkovyna. In the near future we are also intending
to include pieces to mark the memory of the victims of the 1933 Famine,
the tragedy at Chornobyl and the 60th anniversary of the Ukrainian Division
and to extend our repertoire of sacred choral music.
A
large number of the performers are recent arrivals. Why is that so, and
how do they influence your work?
About
30% are Ukrainians from Poland – many that sang in the “Zhuravli” men’s
choir. Another 15% are recent arrivals from Ukraine. I think that many
of the new arrivals are now beginning to become more active in the Ukrainian
diaspora after they have established themselves with jobs and housing.
Now they are searching for groups where they can feel comfortable and included.
Their activity influences the choice of repertoire we take because we select
music that is relevant to them.
There
are many young people active in the group. How did you do this?
A
group like this did not appear overnight. Most of the young adults are
former bandura students from the various bandura groups I have taught –
initially at the UNF Toronto West School and later UNF and SUM in Hamilton,
Guelph, and Oshawa. Many of the singers are the parents of the players.
It
seemed a shame that many of these young adults had reached a very high
level of bandura performance and most were unable to travel the 4 hours
to Detroit to participate in the rehearsals of the Ukrainian Bandurists
Chorus. Unless something was established here in Toronto, many would have
stopped playing. I personally enjoy working with young people and sharing
my knowledge and experiences with them.
What
are you doing to attract new people to your Capella?
Already
the ensemble is quite large so it is no longer a question of attracting
people to the capella, but selecting people to fill in key spaces. A large
group requires an active and capable administration so keeping the group
manageable is a concern. With a group this large, funding considerations
to cover the cost of orchestration and printing of music are now quite
evident. New organizational challengesassociated
with the size of the groupsuch as
costumes and the cost of touring the group are also a concern. We are meeting
these challenges, but in the future we will need to be very selective in
choosing participants. We are planning to implement an audition policy
and a number of programs to raise the general musical ability of the participants
to the highest level we can achieve.
In
recent years there has been a noted growth in community symphony orchestras
that are performing at a level comparable to that of professional orchestras
of 30 years ago. We wish to emulate this – only with the bandura and bandura
music. Professional concert style instruments and music are available.
Trained instructors and specialists are also available. The general level
of musicianship is now higher than it has ever been. Now it is up to us
to use our management skills to put this together efficiently.
What
is the future of the Capella?
The
future of the group is intertwined with the economic and political future
of both Ukraine and Canada. Our first task is to serve the participants
and the Ukrainian diaspora community primarily here in Toronto and its
environment.
Keeping
the participants and our audience interested and active in the development
of the group and Ukrainian bandura and choral music is a primary goal.
This will be achieved with worthwhile projects such as concert tours, commissioning
of music and the organizing of seminars and camps for professional development
etc. In order to achieve these goals we need to have some sort of funding.
To
do this effectively and well we will be attempting to fulfill all the requirements
set for government funding of such an arts group. An artistic troupe that
is serving the community can achieve these goals.
We
are currently making preparations for concerts in Toronto, Montreal and
Ottawa and recording a CD with works that have previously not been recorded
by any bandurist capella.