Fundraiser Concert Series for Even the Brave Struggle
CUF depends on compassionate Canadian communities and individuals like you to fulfill our critical mission: delivering life-saving humanitarian aid to Ukraine. We’re profoundly grateful for champions like the Toronto Bandura Festival, which is organizing two powerful fundraising concerts this spring. In the face of Russia’s brutal aggression, music has become not just a cultural expression, but a powerful form of resistance, healing, and unity for Ukrainians. Join us in this vital cause—attend these extraordinary concerts to experience the power of the bandura, while directly supporting those who have given everything in the defense of freedom.
Kobzars and bandurists have been prominently featured in Ukrainian armies since the time of the Zaporizhian Kozaks. In this war, music has been fundamental in helping maintain good mental health for Ukrainian soldiers, veterans and civilians. The bandura has played an essential role in that effort. Songs and melodies played on Ukraine’s national instrument continue to support the morale of Ukrainian defenders and help them sustain their faith, mental fortitude and belief in victory. Modern bandurists like Maryna Krut, Taras Stoliar, Liubov Shipiliuk, and many others regularly play for Ukrainian troops near the frontline and perform abroad to fundraise money for various essential initiatives and fundraisers supporting Ukraine as well as raise awareness of the numerous war crimes Russia is committing in their country.
In honour of this tradition, the newly founded Toronto Bandura Festival is organizing a two-show bandura concert series – Bandura on Bloor in an effort to fundraise for the CUF-UCC Ukraine Humanitarian Appeal. Two concerts are scheduled this Spring. On Friday, March 21, the first show will feature New York-based soprano and bandurist Teryn Kytasty-Kuzma with an opening act from Toronto-native bandurist Yarko Antonevych at the Heliconian Hall in Toronto. On Friday, May 30, the second show will feature bandurist Mariia Smolinska from Odesa, who currently lives in Victoria, BC, and Toronto-based bandura-viola fusion band DIVKA at the Royal York Road United Church in Toronto. Both concerts will be followed by a reception for all the guests and are a delightful opportunity to spend one’s Friday night with the magical sounds of the bandura!
Background
CUF-UCC Ukraine Humanitarian Appeal has been established jointly by the Canada-Ukraine Foundation (CUF) and the Ukrainian Canadian Congress (UCC) to formalize a coordinated approach in providing humanitarian assistance quickly and efficiently to those in need in Ukraine to address any further aggression by Russia. The main efforts of cooperation are to provide humanitarian relief in the areas of assistance to displaced persons, medical care, emergency shelter and food security.