KWITKA KONDRACKI

Choral Conductor

Date and Place of Birth: 1944 in Lviv, Ukraine

Date of Interview: July 5, 2016

Place of Interview: Toronto, Ontario

Interviewer: Christina Isajiw

Length of Interview: 00:57:41 (raw)

(Excerpt):

Interviewer: What would you consider, in general, to be your biggest accomplishment in your life? From your personal life, and from your professional life?

KK: First, I think, was my trip, when I was invited by the Byzantine Choir to conduct [a performance], and travel with author Antonovych to Ukraine, which was in the [1990th] year, when Ukraine was not independent yet. I travelled with the Dutch [choir ensemble] that absolutely did not speak the Ukrainian language, and we travelled by bus for three days, and arrived in Chop [Zakarpattia Oblast]. Afterwards we arrived in Lviv…and when they sung ‘Otche Nash’ [The Lord’s Prayer], everyone walked out of the kitchen, this was at 2:00 am in the morning, 1990. Men’s choir, foreigners, are singing [in Ukrainian], the same impression was in Kiev, this was not a one-time impression; to me personally it made a very good impression. When they were leaving, driving out back to the Netherlands, there were buses travelling to the demonstration at the time, which I remember. This was one of my biggest memorable accomplishments. They were funny too, at times they had no idea about what they are singing about, and were saying to me ‘Kvitka, what does it mean “То сині Карпати,” and I told them look [at the mountains]. “What colour?” “Oh they are blue, blue.” Very fine they were, that was one of the more moving moments in my life.

CROSS REFERENCES:

• Kvitka Kondracki, referenced in an article written by Leslie Ferenc for the Whole Note, published on March 29th, 2016

• Kvitka Kondracki biography listed on the Vesnivka choral group website