2021 Youth Performance Artists

2021 Youth Performance Master of Ceremonies:

Zoriana Holyk

Sofia Ponomariv

Andrianka Artemyak is 13 years old. She is a student of the St. Sophia School and loves to sing Ukrainian songs and play the piano. He is currently actively involved in music at the Artemyak Art-Music Studio, led by Igor and Andriana Artemyak. Andrianka is the winner of vocal competitions that took place in Ukraine and loves to perform on stage.

Mykhailyk Artemyak is 9 years old. He is a student of the St. Sophia School and loves to sing Ukrainian songs and play the guitar. He is currently actively involved in music at the Artemyak Art-Music Studio, led by Igor and Andriana Artemyak.

Zlata Barchuk is 5 years old Canadian singer with Ukrainian roots. She began her vocal singing at 2 years old. Now she is studying at Krasnooky vocal music school. And she is studying in Nova Shkola Ukrainian Saturday school grade 1. This year Zlata received her 1-st place awards at emerging young artist competition as vocal music 2021. She performs her songs in Ukrainian language, glorifies our native Ukraine, our traditions, our culture.

Halychany & Sopilky are the dance ensemble from the Barvinok Dance School based in Mississauga. These dancers are young teenagers ranging in ages from 13-14 & 16-17. Both ensembles have performed at various festivals in Mississauga, St. Catherine’s, in Vaughan at their Multicultural Musical Festival, in Toronto at Centennial Park for Independence Day, as well at Bloor West Village Toronto Ukrainian Festival. Halychany traveled to perform in Ottawa on Capital Hill and to Orlando, Florida representing Barvinok Dance School at Disney World. Halychany & Sopilky played a significant role during the Barvinok’s 50th Anniversary Concert in May of 2019 year and there were one of the highlighted groups in the Jubilee program. This past one and a half year, during unprecedented COVID time, Halychany worked very hard to make sure that everyone is safe and stays healthy. Almost the entire Halychany & Sopilky groups were continuously learning dancing online by being engaged in online classes.

DESNA School is a Toronto-based Ukrainian dance school under the artistic direction of Virksy trained Yuri & Luba Grekov.
This is a place where children not only experience Ukrainian culture and tradition, but also create lasting friendships and attain unforgettable memories! DESNA School consists of children aged 2 to 15, who practice once to twice a week at the Plast Huculak Centre.
Our dancers have performed on many stages including Nathan Phillips Square, The Toronto Ukrainian Festival, The Living Arts Centre, The Chicago Ukrainian Days, and Dauphin, MB, Ottawa Ukrainian Festival, different parts in Ukraine, and the World Fest Festival in Yonkers, New York with Desna Company.
After persevering through the Covid 19 Pandemic by continuing to dance online, Deana School is happy to welcome dancers back to in person rehearsals this coming year.

Sisters Solomia and Lesia Kosarenko started playing bandura when they were just 7 years old, in a bandura class at the Ivan Franko Ukrainian Saturday School in Mississauga. Next year they joined the "Zoloti Struny" bandura capella under the artistic leadership of Oksana Zelinska-Shevchuk, and have been active members of the capella for the last 5 years. Both Lesia and Solomia performed multiple times at the Bloor West Festival in Toronto, Taras Shevchenko celebrations at the Hutsulak Centre in Etobicoke, many charitable concerts in the Ukrainian community in the GTA, and participated in the Marta Krawciw-Barabash Ukrainian Music Festival and the Toronto Kiwanis Festival.
In the last two years, Solomia and Lesia have started performing as a bandura duet. In 2020, they've placed first in the Ukrainian Music Festival in the duet category, and in 2021 have taken first place as a bandura duet at the Kiwanis Toronto.

Katie Kubovych is a talented and vibrant 9 year old girl. She is very passionate about music especially singing. Katie also plays piano and bandura. She really likes performing and has participated in various concerts and festivals.

Odessa Lubinska lives in Toronto and goes to Josyf Cardinal Slipyj School. She is 11 years old. At the age of four, she performed her first solo to Patriarch Sviatoslaw. Odessa was a finalist for Ukrainian Star during Independence Day concert, at the Centenial Park. She has performed various times at Carassauaga Festival, at Annual Christmas Bazzar Yarmarok as well as Ivan Franko Senior Homes. Odessa has been also performing at the Ukrainian Bloor West Village Festival on both stages. This young lady has also performed at Camp Sokil for Ivana Kupala. She loves Ukrainian dancing and is an active member of Barvinok Dance School. Under the Direction of Vadym Krasnooky, MeadHeads, recorded song “Halleluiah ”. as well as the song “Nadiya Yea” Odessa enjoys performing for the community.

A member of Vira Zelinska Ukrainian Youth Bandura Capella “Zoloti Struny” for 5 years now, 12 year old Solomia Shevchuk is a young talented bandura player. Having started playing bandura at the age of 5 years old, Solomia is now a well-rounded musician who is both a bandura instrumentalist as well as a vocalist. Under the guidance of her mother who also happens to be an experienced bandura teacher, Oksana Zelinska—Shevchuk, a musical director and a conductor at “Zoloti Struny” and Co-Conductor of the Women’s Bandura Ensemble of North America, Solomia is developing into a skillful payer who is dedicated to improving her performing and technical skills. A numerous scholarships winner, a 1st Place Winner in all of the Bandura Categories at the annual Ukrainian Music Festival 2020 and a Platinum Winner at the annual Kiwanis Music Festival of Greater Toronto 2021, Solomia strives for musical excellence to broaden the awareness about bandura as an instrument that is equal to other Classical instruments and is promoted and excepted as such by wider international audiences. Solomia is also advancing in her piano skills along with her studies as a vocalist. She is a member of “Ukraina” School of Dance and an active participant at events within the Ukrainian community
of Greater Toronto.

Bogdan & Sofia Sivkov. Bogdan Sivkov is in Grade 7 at St. Demetrius Catholic School. He has been playing sopilka since 2017 and is currently attending a musical group by Ruslan Kubovych. Bogdan has been performing at Marta Krawciw-Barabash Ukrainian Music Festival since 2018. Bogdan also likes playing chess and doing math. Sofia Sivkova is studying in Grade 5 at St. Demetrius Catholic School and has been playing sopilka under the supervision of Ruslan Kubovych since 2018. Sofia performed at Marta Krawciw-Barabash Ukrainian Music Festival in 2019 and 2020. Sofia enjoys painting, baking, and playing chess.

Daria Sulipka is a talented artist and performer who loves music, dancing, and art. Her spark for music started at a young age and led to vocal, piano, and bandura lessons with Oksana Zelinska since the age of 6. Daria is a member of Zoloti Struny Bandura Capella and since the age of 4 a member of Ukraina Dance Ensemble. Daria has performed and entertained on many stages, big and small, including BWV Toronto Ukrainian Festival, Carassauga and Yarmarok at St Mary’s Church, Kids Benefit Concert, and numerous charity and benefit organized events. She also participates in the annual Ukrainian Music Festival and the Toronto Kiwanis Music Festival. Daria aspires to become a professional musician and pursues her dreams through developing her talents and doing what she loves.