How the Dutch support Ukrainian culture

The band from Holland was founded in 1996 by famous composer, opera singer, a native of the town of Dolyna (Ivano-Frankivsk oblast) Myroslav Antonovych. He graduated from Utrecht University and defended his thesis. Antonovych published his research on Eastern and West European music. As musicologist he lectured at various congresses in Oxford, Salzburg, and New York. When Ukrainian Catholic Seminary ceased to operate in Holland Dr. Antonovych decided to create a choir that would consist solely of the Dutch men who would sing at church services in the Ukrainian according to Byzantine rite. He called his team “Byzantine Choir.” On February 28, 1951 the first rehearsal took place and after two months the choir sang its first mass service in the chapel of the St. Anthony Hospital in Utrecht. The news about the choir quickly spread in the Netherlands and abroad. They conquered the audience with their singing in Western Europe, the USA, and Canada. The choir gave over 3,000 concerts under the supervision of Antonovych, who was the choir director for over 40 years. In 1990 for the first time the choir visited Ukraine – homeland of the founder of the group.

Six years later Antonovych organized already a mixed group to jointly perform with the “Byzantine Choir” a concert for the benefit of the International Fund of Lysenko family in Kyiv. The event took place in May 1997 at the St. Jacob Church in Utrecht. After the successful performance it was decided to call this group Lysenko Choir in honor of the outstanding composer.

Today Lysenko Choir has 40 Dutch singers, both men and women, who support and promote Ukrainian culture. Antonovych and Paul Hakkennes have been artistic directors of the choir for ten years. The repertoire of the choir is being constantly updated. In 2006 Antonovych passed away and Hakkennes sought alternatives as to how to continue the activities of the choir. Iryna Horvanko, a native of Ivano-Frankivsk became the new artistic director. In 1993 she graduated from the Music Department of the Vasyl Stefanyk Carpathian National University. After she moved to the Netherlands she graduated from the Mechlin Conservatory in Tilburg majoring in choral conducting. During the time she worked with the Lysenko Choir new songs were added to its repertoire.

Today the choir has the new conductor – Anna Azernikova from Russia. She has been living in the Netherlands since 1998. For more than 30 years now the choir’s impresario has been Volodymyr Lutsiv – tenor and bandura player. He was born in Ivano-Frankivsk oblast but now is a citizen of the UK.

This year the Dutch choir will come to Ukraine. This visit will mark the 15th anniversary of choir’s concert activity and will be associated with the 95th anniversary of the birth of maestro Myroslav Antonovych. The tour will have a title “With Ukraine in Heart” and the dream of the choir members to visit Central and Eastern Ukraine will finally come true. Young cimbalom player Mykhailo Zakharia, well-known in Europe, will perform together with the choir. When Zakharia was only five years old he won his first prize at the contest “Young Virtuosos” and now he is the winner of the International Hutsul Festival, scholarship holder of the All-Ukrainian contest “New Names of Ukraine,” winner of the first prize of the International Competition for Young Performers in Chisinau (Moldova), multiple winner of the International Competition of Cimbalom Players in the Czech Republic, winner of international competitions in Budapest (Hungary), Treviso (Italy), and other competitions.

Famous Lysenko Choir and virtuoso cimbalom player Mykhailo Zakharia will have their tour in Ukraine from September 7 through 16. On September 8 the choir will perform in Dolyna, the native town of the choir’s founder. Then they will give concerts in Vinnytsia, Cherkasy, Kryvy Rih, and will end the tour in Donetsk. They will present the program of works of traditional Ukrainian choral and instrumental art.