April, 2018
In April 2018 the International Vocal-Choral Contest-Festival “Let a Song Gather Friends” which was launched in 2007 at the East of Ukraine, now revived in Bukovyna. During 8 years the music forum has been held in Luhansk at Taras Shevchenko Luhansk National University.
The Contest-Festival has become one of the most important platforms of the vocal and choral art as well as cultural and educational life in Ukraine, which can initiate different artistic and educational international projects. However, due to the forced evacuation of the university at that time, the contest-festival ceased to exist. The festival was revived as part of the “East + West = Peace” project.
And only after 4 years the festival was revived as part of the “East + West = Peace” project in Chernivtsi.
The founder of the contest and ideological inspirer is Olha Churikova-Kushnir, the associate professor at Yuriy Fedkovych Chernivtsi National University. The forum immediately has become popular among supporters of vocal-choral art, famous performers, musicologists and representatives of Chernivtsi cultural community.
ІX International vocal and choral contest-festival “Let a Song Gather Friends” was held on April 22-27, 2018 and was dedicated to the memory of a famous, legendary cosmonaut Kadeniuk Leonid.
About thousand participants took part in the festival last year. There were both collectives and solo performers. The members of the jury were prominent figures in the musical arts of Ukraine and foreign countries such as Austria, Italy, Romania, Moldova and China.
The contestants of the IX International vocal and choral contest festival were judged by highly professional jury from Romania, Republic of Moldova, Italy, Austria and Ukraine.
The head of jury in nomination “Academic solo singing”, “Choral singing”, “Ensembles” – musicologist, folklorist, composer, secretary general of the National Commission of Moldova for UNESCO Constantine Rusnak (Moldova).
Head of the jury in nominations “Variety solo singing”, “Ensemble”, “Pop Solo Singing” – People’s Artist of Ukraine, Head of the Variety Song Department of Kyiv Municipal Academy of Pop and Circus Arts Ivo Bobul (Ukraine).
The festival began with the opening ceremony, rehearsals and competitive auditions. Various artistic events were organized for the participants and guests of the festival. Thus, at the church of the Three Saints in the residence of the Metropolitans of Bukovina and Dalmatia (Yuriy Fedkovych Chernivtsi National University) there was a concert of spiritual music. Also, there was a festival night festival attended by the participants with the festival program. In addition, there were concerts of the nominees “Variety solo singing” (in the Academic Palace) and “Academic solo singing” (Organ hall of Dmytro Hnatyuk Chernivtsi Regional Philarmonic).
The award ceremony of II, III, IV, V degree owners took place separately at Marble Hall of Chernivtsi National University, Gala-concert and the award ceremony presenting winners of the first degree and Grand prix was at Olha Kobylianska Chernivtsi Academic Regional Ukrainian Music and Drama Theater.
The choir of students of the Chernivtsi Music School “Subito” (III age category, the choir singing nomination) became the Grand Prix winner of the IX International vocal and choral contest-festival “Let a Song Gather Friends”.
Since that time the historical city of Chernivtsi has gained a new status – the capital of vocal and choral art.