
The Fabled Music of the Bandura: A Performance by Julian Kytasty
January 12, 20252:00 PM - 3:30 PM
Joan and Clifford Vernick Auditorium | MOIFA
Included with Museum Admission | RSVP HERE
ASL interpretation available upon request by January 6, 2025 | Email laura.mueller@dca.nm.gov
Join virtuoso musician Julian Kytasty as he performs songs on the bandura, a traditional Ukrainian folk instrument with similarities to the lute and the zither. During the performance, Julian will also speak to the history and lore of the instrument, including its relationship to Ukrainian folk traditions and culture. The performance will include a Q&A session.
Julian Kytasty was born in Detroit, Michigan into a family of Ukrainian refugees who came to the United States after World War II. He is a third generation bandurist, first learning the instrument from his father and grandfather. In 1980, he moved to New York to become the artistic director of the New York School of Bandura. Since then his multifaceted work as a performer, recording artist, composer, teacher, and ensemble leader has redefined the possibilities of his instrument. He has been a guest lecturer at many universities including Yale, Harvard, Wesleyan, and the University of California. In September 2021, President Zelensky awarded Julian the title Honored Artist of Ukraine in a ceremony in New York City.
We are grateful to the International Folk Art Foundation, Friends of Folk Art, and donors to the Museum of New Mexico Exhibition Development Fund, including Mark Naylor and Dale Gunn, Gwenn and Eivind Djupedal, Rosalind Doherty, Barbara Forslund, David Vogel and Larry Fulton, The Gale Family Foundation, and TOKo Santa Fe for their support of Amidst Cries from the Rubble: Art of Loss and Resilience from Ukraine and its related programming.
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