Jurij Fedynskyj — American-born bandurist, and singer-songwriter — will demonstrate traditional repertoire performed on the torban, kobza, and bandura. He’ll share his experiences of living in Ukraine as a cultural pioneer, a leader in the movement to revive traditional stringed instruments in Ukraine.

Born in Indianapolis, Jurij Fedynskyj obtained a master’s degree in music performance (classical piano), but fell in love with the bandura, a relative of the lute. He studied the instrument intensively with Julian Kytasty in the U.S. and performed there, with the Experimental Bandura Trio and the renowned Ukrainian Bandurist Chorus of Detroit. In 1998 he moved to Kyiv to pursue his studies with Professor Serhiy Bashtan. Ten years later he moved to the village of Kryachkivka in the Poltava region with his family, and has since devoted himself to reconstructing, building, and teaching the various styles of bandura and the related kobza and torban.  

Fedynskyj has been involved with such performing groups of various styles as Haydamaky (ska-punk), Run Through the Jungle, Karpatiyany, Khoreya Kozatska, and Drevo. He created the Poltava Kobzar Guild in Kryachkivka, and is a founder of the festival “Drevo Rodu Kobzarskoho.”

Fedynskyj’s tour of the U.S. is in the style of a kobzar (kobza player), traditionally a blind bard  who travelled the country with his kobza or bandura, singing psalms and dumy or epic poems from as early as the 16th century.

Fedynskyj describes himself as a composer, torbanist, bandurist, singer-songwriter, producer, bandleader, luthier, cultural activist, and pedagogue. You can read a fascinating article about Jurij and his journey of self-discovery and music, in Ukrainian, here.

Note:  Space at Cafe Istanbul is limited.

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