There aren’t too many cities like Drohobych — with the population of some 100,000 citizens it boasts two powerful festivals.
One of them, the Bruno Schulz International Festival, was launched fairly recently (in 2008 it was held for the third time) but has already attracted a large number of followers and developed its own traditions. It facilitates Ukraine’s integration into the European cultural space, serves as a kind of Drohobych’s calling card, and fosters among the residents of the city respective and tolerant attitude to the controversial, confusing, tragic, and yet brilliant time in which the artist lived.
The Strings of Our Soul Festival of Ukrainian Music appears to be much more modest at first sight. However, its goal is to acquaint the populace with the achievements of Ukrainian composers and performers. In a sense, this festival is a substitute for the lacking philharmonic society in the city. The festival’s initiator and permanent organizer, Volodymyr Hrabovsky, is a teacher at the Vasyl Barvinsky Drohobych State College of Music, a member of the National Union of Composers, and the head of its Drohobych branch.
What prompted the idea of the festival in a seemingly provincial city?
“Every country has nurtured its own festival tradition that helps preserve and develop its music heritage. Today it is hard to imagine a European city without at least one festival that would be held there if only on an irregular basis. There are festivals of symphony, chamber, and vocal music; festivals dedicated to the oeuvre of one composer; ethnographic festivals; festivals of contemporary and ancient music; and singer-songwriter festivals. This variety leads every organizer to a clear realization of his/her concept of the festival in view of the needs of the public.
“For instance, in the neighboring countries, such as Poland, Slovakia, and Hungary, nearly every city has its music festival. Moreover, Ukrainian musicians are frequent and welcome guests there. At the invitation of my friends and colleagues, I often participated in these kinds of events and saw how important they were for the cultural life of big and small European cities. So the idea to have a similar event in my native city emerged naturally from this experience. The first Strings of Our Soul festival was held in 1993.”
Was it conceived as a festival of Ukrainian music?
“Initially, the idea was to bring to light the little-known pages of the 20th-century Ukrainian classical music, which had been banned for so long, just like the avant-garde explorations of our young composers. Later the concept of the festival smoothly combined both the composer and performer aspects.
“The festival always serves to promote Ukraine’s multifaceted music culture, although we have had Polish musicians perform here too. For example, at the most recent festival Anastasia van Proen of the Poltava Philharmonic Society, a brilliant Ukrainian musician, performed just one Ukrainian piece — Myroslav Skoryk’s Burlesque, but it was a wonderful rendition of a splendid composition!
“I believe that both the composers and performers are our national treasure; we need to support and help them in every possible way, especially in this day and age. So Ukrainian music is a broad concept.”
Has the festival developed any established traditions?
“The first concert of the festival is always held in the Holy Trinity Church and includes [only] spiritual music. Initially, it did not enjoy adequate acceptance, but with time both the church and the public got used to this form of presentation so now this touching event always attracts large audiences and such wonderful performers as the various Drohobych-based choirs (Boyan Drohobytsky, Vidlunnia, Legend, and others).
“Furthermore, nearly every festival is dedicated to some anniversary. For example, last year it was held in Bohdana Schulz’s honor. Her works were included in a number of concerts, a soiree with her participation was organized, and a research conference was organized. Then we held her concerts in the framework of festivals in Dolyna, Kalush, and Stryi.
“Our festival has been linked to several landmark dates. For example, in conjunction with the 120th birth anniversary of Vasyl Barvinsky we held a research conference involving leading musicologists from Lviv, Ternopil, Ivano-Frankivsk, and Kyiv. The composer’s works were featured in several concerts of the Drohobych musicians and students.
“The festival also honored Myroslav Skoryk and Hennadii Liashenko. Musicians from Drohobych and Lviv performed their piano and chamber music pieces, and the new music scores were launched. Drohobych saw the premiere of Liashenko’s piece “The ringing of the wonderful bell and the quivering of leaves in the wind…” performed by the noted Drohobych piano duet of O. Nimylovych and U. Molchko.”
