Kiev Bandurist Capella

The Kyiv Bandurist Capella (Ukrainian: Київська капeла бандуристiв, Kyivs’ka kapela banduristiv) is a male vocal-instrumental ensemble that accompanies its singing with the playing of the multi-stringed Ukrainian folk instrument known as the bandura.

The group was initially known as the Kobzar Choir and was established in August 1918 under the direction of the renowned bandurist virtuoso Vasyl Yemetz, having its first performance in November that year. The group continues to actively perform to this day as the Ukrainian Bandurist Chorus.

The idea of organizing a bandura ensemble came to V. Yemetz after seeing a performance by four kobzars in Okhtyrka: Ivan Kuchuhura Kucherenko, Pavlo Hashchenko, Petro Drevchenko and Oleksander Hamaliya on 20 August 1911. In some of the pieces, the kobzars were joined by the lira player Sampson Vesely. This performance seemed to have been the catalyst for the formation of the first Kobzar Choir.

Initially, Yemetz tried to organize a Bandurist Capella in Kharkiv from his students in 1913. His next attempt was with his students in the historic Kuban region in 1913–1914 in Yekaterinodar, but none of these attempts were fully successful. This could have been possibly due to the youth and inexperience of Yemetz himself. In 1914, Yemetz travelled to Moscow where he had the chance to see the bandura ensemble that was organized by Vasyl Shevchenko. He was also aware of the student bandura ensemble organized by Mykhailo Domontovych in Kiev in 1905.

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