Ukraine Millennium Foundation

The Ukraine Millennium Foundation (UMF) was incorporated in Toronto, Canada, as a not-for-profit corporation on November 2, 1983, at the initiative of Maestro Wolodymyr Kolesnyk, newly arrived from the Kyiv State Opera, and Luba Zaraska of Toronto. Its immediate objective was the recording of Dmytro Bortniansky’s 35 Sacred Choral Concertos to celebrate 1000 years since Ukraine’s adoption of Christianity in 988. The Foundation quickly drew members from all over the world and a Board of Directors was formed, with members from Australia, Canada and the United States. Its presidents have been Mrs. Zaraska, Bishop Yuriy Kalistchuk of Winnipeg, and Gordon Conway and Lilea Wolanska of Edmonton. UMF’s overall objectives are to support the identification, development, enhancement and appreciation of the Ukrainian musical arts: vocal, instrumental, choral, operatic and musicological. Its purpose is to promote Ukrainian musicians, assist in preserving Ukrainian culture and to disseminate Ukrainian accomplishments in the musical arts.

Aims and Objectives
In celebration of the millennium of Christianity in Rus-Ukraine and for the next millennium, to support the enhancement, development and appreciation of the musical arts;
To support and promote the appreciation and study of church, choral and orchestral music generally, and of Ukrainian church, choral and orchestral music in particular;
To assist in the establishment of choirs and choral societies;
To assist in the establishment of creative contacts among musicians, composers, conductors, music scholars, choirs and choral societies by promoting and organizing concerts, music conventions, choral and orchestral competitions, and lectures and seminars in the musical arts;
To establish and maintain programs in the musical arts intended to promote and enhance the study of music;
To establish and maintain a philanthropic and charitable program intended to support all of the above activities;
To receive, acquire and dispose of real and personal property;
To receive gifts and donations to be used for the above philanthropic and charitable purposes;
To create, provide and enlarge a fund for charitable and philanthropic purposes in conjunction with the foregoing.

Beginnings

The recording of Dmytro Bortniansky’s 35 Sacred Concertos was produced with artistic director, Wolodymyr Kolesnyk. A choir comprised of 64 members from across Canada and the United States was assembled to record the concertos. The total cost of the project was $800,000, and a set of 5 long-playing records was produced. After the project’s conclusion, interest in Toronto waned and UMF headquarters moved to Edmonton under President Gordon (Bud) Conway, who had been chairman of the Edmonton branch since the inception of the project in 1983. He was succeeded by Lilea Wolanska, who has been president since 2007. In 2002, UMF was granted a license by the Alberta Gaming and Liquor Commission, and its scope has changed in accordance with AGLC guidelines to focus on Ukrainian musical projects in Alberta.

Projects

In 1989, the Foundation completed the recording of Dmytro Bortniansky’s 35 Sacred Choral Concertos as a 5-LP set. In 1997, Wolodymyr Kolesnyk and an UMF Edmonton committee consisting of Maria Dytyniak, Lilea Wolanska and Gordon Conway initiated the reproduction of the recordings onto 4 compact discs at a cost of $10,000.

The UMF has also funded the annual Ukrainian Music Society of Alberta (UMSA) choral directing seminars held in Edmonton over two decades, directed initially by Maestro Wolodymyr Kolesnyk, with assistance from Zenoby Lawryshyn. Following Kolesnyk’s death in 1997, the seminars were directed by prominent conductors from Canada and Ukraine, such as Laurence Ewashko and Ivan Hamkalo. Participants have included choral directors from across Canada, the US, Europe, South America and Australia.

The book The World of Mykola Lysenko
In the 1960s Dr. Tamara Bulat of Kyiv, began her lifelong study of the life and works of Ukrainian composer Mykola Lysenko. Fearing that much politically sensitive information would be lost under Soviet conditions, Dr. Bulat took on the burden of recording this information for posterity. She interviewed Lysenko descendants, who were assured of her pro-Ukrainian intentions, and researched archives in Ukraine, Russia and throughout Europe, uncovering unique archival information and photos.

In the 1980s her son, Taras Filenko, also a musicologist, joined his mother in compiling information from archives throughout Canada and the United States. In 1990 the authors approached UMF for publishing support. The album The World of Mykola Lysenko in its supplemented and enhanced English-language version was translated and edited by Lilea Wolanska and contained 450 photographs. It was printed in Kyiv in 2001. The album immediately received the Book of the Year award from the Publishers Association of Ukraine. The album was enthusiastically reviewed by the Ukrainian Ministry of Culture, and a Ukrainian-language version was subsequently printed in 2002, which was officially proclaimed the Year of Mykola Lysenko.

Other Projects Funded

• Artem Vedel': Divine Liturgy and 12 Sacred Choral Concerti, published by the Ukraine Music Society of Alberta

• Kontrasty Lviv Annual International Music Festival, for two years.

• Kyiv Philharmonic Symphony premiere of Valery Kikta’s oratorio Dnipro

• The Lviv Ivan Franko State Opera and Ballet Theatre premiere of the opera Moses by Myroslav Skoryk

• The Composers of the Ukrainian Diaspora, researched and authored by Dr. Taras Filenko, translated and edited by Lada Hornjatkevyc. Available online for research at the Bohdan Medwidsky Archives at the Kule Centre of the University of Alberta.

  • Ukrainian Art Song Project, Stepovyi CD recording, funded and premiered in Edmonton

• The Ukraine Millennium Foundation Online World Library of Ukrainian Art Songs, administered by the Ukrainian Art Song Project and funded by UMF, which gives anyone with internet access the ability to download the scores of Ukrainian art songs free of charge.

• St. Nicholas Mandolin Orchestra history and video

  • Resurrection Liturgy by Fr. John Sembrat, composition and recording

• Sounds Ukrainian radio program on CJSR FM

• University of Alberta Kule Centre Medwidsky Archive - two major projects

• Artem Vedel sacred concerto cycle, concerts and CD recording by Luminous Voices and Spiritus Choir; CD publication (in progress)

• Golden Harvest oratorio by Larysa Kuzmenko, conducted by Laurence Ewashko, printing of orchestral scores ($5000) for premieres in Winnipeg and Ottawa, 2015

• Grant MacEwan annual bursaries and awards of $3000 each given to students in Ukrainian music research, composition and performance.

• Dnipro Chorus, funding for choral workshops, CD recording

• Akolada Ensemble, 4 concerts funded

• Verkhovyna Choir funding

• Kappella Kyrie, Vedel/Vivaldi concert and art song concert (in progress)

• Ukrainian Bilingual Schools, purchasing banduras and funding bandura workshops

• Ridna Shkola Ukrainian Heritage School, purchase of musical instruments

• St. George Church Choir, CD recording

• Ukrainian Canadian Congress, Edmonton Heritage Days, annual funding

• Alberta Kontakt television program

UMF has financed numerous community concerts, such as Shevchenko concerts and others arranged by UCC, UMSA and other community organizations.

The Ukraine Millennium Foundation expresses its thanks to Alberta Gaming for permitting use of gaming funds to support Ukrainian music in Alberta.

Provided by the UMF