The Kobzar’s Prayer for Ukraine

On Friday April 14, Annandale’s Science Seminar Series hosted a concert of traditional Ukranian music in the CA auditorium. Jurij Fedynski, an accomplished Ukranian ethnomusicologist and performer, treated listeners to the sounds of traditional Ukranian lute-like instruments–the bandura, the kobza and the torban. Between songs, he shared his perspective on the war and life in Ukraine.

For almost two decades he has worked to revive the tradition of the Kobzars–singing minstrels who traveled across the countryside. Over the last year Fedynski has traveled across the Ukraine visiting bombed out areas, the front lines, and communities lifting the spirits of fellow Ukranians. He has been featured in several news outlets, including NPR, the Christian Science Monitor and others.   

Fedynski is currently on a U.S. tour to raise funds and awareness for Ukraine. For more information, please visit his website here. MSTB-Annandale will host its next science seminar on April 21, 2023.

Submitted by:
Karen Bushaw-Newton, AN-Bio, KBushaw@nvcc.edu