A bandura is a Ukrainian plucked-string folk-instrument. It combines elements of the zither and lute and, up until the 1940s, was also often called a kobza. Early instruments had 5 to 12 strings and resembled lutes. In the 20th century, the number of strings increased initially to 31 strings (1926), then to 56 strings – 68 strings on modern "concert" instruments (1954).
The kobza, also called bandurka is a Ukrainian folk music instrument of the lute family, a relative of the Central European mandora. The term kobza however, has also been applied to a number of other Eastern European instruments distinct from the Ukrainian kobza.
A bandurist is a person who plays the Ukrainian plucked string instrument known as the bandura.
The Poltava Bandurist Capella was vocal-instrumental ensemble who accompanied themselves on the multi-stringed Ukrainian bandura. It was initially established in February 1925, based on a male church choir who sang in the Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox Cathedral in Poltava under the direction of Fedir (Khvedir) Popadych. The ensemble was disbanded in October 1934.
Prystrunky is a term used for the additional unfretted strings strung across the body of Ukrainian folk instruments such as the kobza, bandura, and torban. Prystrunky means "near the strings". These additional strings are thought to have appeared on these instruments as early as the 17th century. Others feel that these additional strings appeared later in the mid to late 18th century. On the contemporary bandura they are now the main strings on which the performer plays, and are similar to the super treble strings on a harp guitar.
Kobzarskyi Tsekh, literally "Kobzar guild", is an organization of kobzars, which have existed since the 17th century in Ukraine.
Leonid Haydamaka has left his impression on the development of bandura art in the 20th century.
Kobzarstvo in the wider definition, is the art and related culture of singing to the accompaniment of the Ukrainian plucked string instruments bandura and kobza, as well as the Ukrainian hurdy-gurdy, which is called lira.
The Kyiv Academic Style of Bandura Playing is a method of playing the Ukrainian folk instrument of bandura.
Vasyl' Kostovych Yemetz was born in the village of Sharivka, 40 km from Kharkiv, Ukraine. He was the son of Kost' and Yevdokia (Kurakhovych). He was married to Maria Hotra-Doroshenko. He was a virtuoso bandurist. He was founder and initial director of the Kobzar Choir in 1918 - the direct protégé of the Kiev Bandurist Capella and the Ukrainian Bandurist Chorus.
Victor Mishalow is an Australian-born Canadian bandurist, educator, composer, conductor, and musicologist.
Peter Deriashnyj is a Ukrainian Australian bandurist, composer of secular and sacred music, and choral conductor. He specializes in the Kharkiv style of bandura playing, but also plays folk and rock guitar.
A Kuban bandurists is a person who plays the Ukrainian plucked string instrument known as the bandura, who is from Kuban, a geographic region of southern Russia surrounding the Kuban River.
Antin Paplynsky (Ukrainian: Антоній Паплинський was a Ukrainian musical instrument maker who crafted banduras from 1905-1918. He was rumoured to have been shot by the Bolsheviks in 1919 or 1920. Paplynsky's instruments had 32-34 strings and were diatonically tuned. He was a popular bandura maker because of the quality of his instruments. In 1909 he received a Grand Prix award at the World Trade Exhibition held in Paris. His instruments were sought after not only in Ukraine, but in Russia and Canada.
The Honcharenko Brothers—Alexander (1913–2005) and Peter —became the dominant bandura-makers and designers in the Ukrainian diaspora.
Ukrainian folk music includes a number of varieties of traditional, folkloric, folk-inspired popular music, and folk-inspired European classical music traditions.
Kharkiv-style banduras are banduras that allow for the playing of the Kharkiv style, i.e. using the left hand to play melodic figures primarily over the side of the instrument as opposed to the Kyiv style where the left hand primarily plays the basses. To allow for the added required dexterity of the left hand, the instrument is held parallel to the body of the player.
William "Bill" Vetzal is a Canadian bandura designer and manufacturer.
The Hnat Khotkevych Ukrainian Bandurist Ensemble is a vocal and instrumental Ukrainian folkloric performing ensemble in Sydney, Australia. It was founded in June 1964 by bandurist Hryhory Bazhul and since May 1971 was directed by Peter Deriashnyj.
Mykola Petrovych Budnyk was a luthier and traditional performer in the Kobzar tradition. He was active in authentic construction and recreation of historic folk instruments, and involved in the movement for authentic performаnce practice on Ukrainian folk instruments. Budnyk was also known as a painter and poet. He was born in 1954 in Skolobiv, near Khoroshiv, Zhytomyr region, and died January 16, 2001, in Irpin', Kyiv region.
