A well-known choir conductor, composer, folklorist, teacher, public and cultural figure, People's Artist of Ukraine, Honored Artist of Ukraine, Corresponding Member of the National Academy of Arts of Ukraine, Professor, laureate of the National Prize of Ukraine named after Taras Shevchenko and Sydor Vorobkevych Literary and Art Award, Honorary Citizen of Chernivtsi.
Biography
He was born on October 17, 1933 in the village of Velika Zagaytsi, Shumsky district, Ternopil region.
In 1955-1957, he studied at the Lviv Music and Pedagogical School named after Filaret Kolessa, after which he was recommended to study at the conservatory.
In 1962, he graduated with honors from the Lviv Conservatory, conducting and choral faculty. At the conservatory, A. Kushnirenko studied with such famous teachers and artists as:
M. M. Antkiv,
S. P. Lyudkevich,
A. Y. Kos-Anatolsky,
A. V. Soltys,
R. A. Simovych,
O. S. Teplitskyi,
the famous folklorist-musicologist V. L. Goshovskyi.
Since 1962, A. M. Kushnirenko has been the artistic director and chief conductor of the State Honored Bukovyna Song and Dance Ensemble of Ukraine. Under his leadership, the ensemble became one of the leading professional artistic collectives, twice a laureate of international competitions (1967, 1977), and in 1969 it received the title of Honored Ensemble of Ukraine. The performances of this famous team enjoy great success both in Ukraine and abroad. The Honored Bukovyna Ensemble under the direction of A. M. Kushnirenko performed with great success in Finland (1966), Czechoslovakia (1986), Poland (1989), Italy (2000), Romania (1969, 1974, 1986, 1990, 2002).
Andrii Mykolayovych Kushnirenko devotes a large part of his abilities and talent to composing and teaching activities.
Andriy Kushnirenko's compositional work has gained wide recognition among the musical public of Ukraine. His songs are now heard in concert halls, on many stages, at large celebrations, they have become popular among fans of vocal and choral art. In addition to the Honored Academic Bukovyna Song and Dance Ensemble, the composer's works are performed by such well-known ensembles as the State Honored Academic Chapel "Dumka", the Men's Choir Chapel of Ukraine named after L. M. Revutsky, choir named after P. Mayborody of the national radio company, as well as people's artists of Ukraine D. Hnatyuk, P. Onchula, Ya. Soltys, honored artists of Ukraine Shkurgan Semen Vasyliovych|S. Shkurgan, M. Bolotny, M. Melnychuk, I. Derdy, N. Kaplienko, V. Pindika, L. Radysh and others.
Lyrical songs of the composer especially capture the hearts of listeners with sincerity and soulfulness of expression. "Zoreslava" (poem by I. Kuten), "Eyes lit up with stars" (poem by M. Bakay), "Mother's Love" (poem by Volodymyr Vykhrushch), "March is Coming" (poem by V. Chernyak) became popular far beyond the borders of Bukovyna.
The recognition of the composer's talent is that his humorous songs "My mother sent me", "I'm happy at birth" (to the words of Ivan Kuten) have long been perceived as folk songs.
The composer is not limited to vocal and choral genres, his creative output includes a number of instrumental works such as "Bukovinskaya Suite" for symphony orchestra, "Ballad" for two violins and piano, "Impromptu" for piano and others.
In addition to composing activities, A. M. Kushnirenko is engaged in research activities. He is the author of scientific works, many musicological articles and various reviews. On the initiative of A. M. Kushnirenko, in 1992, the department of music was founded at the Chernivtsi National University named after Yuriy Fedkovich, which he has headed for the second decade (since 1993, he has been a professor).
Andrii Mykolayovych Kushnirenko is actively engaged in public service work as the Head of the regional branch of the National All-Ukrainian Music Union (NMU), secretary of the Republican Coordination Council of the NMU, chairman of the Bukovyna Composers' Association, member of the Academic Council of Yuriy Fedkovych Chernivtsi National University.
Since 1997, Andrii Mykolayovych Kushnirenko is a member of the National Union of Composers of Ukraine and a corresponding member of the Academy of Arts of Ukraine.
A. M. Kushnirenko was repeatedly appointed as the chairman of the jury of regional amateur artistic reviews, as well as a member of the jury of the All-Ukrainian competition named after M. Leontovych (1993, 1995, 1997), competition named after Ch. Porumbescu (Romania, 1989), chairman of the jury of the 1st All-Ukrainian festival-competition of Ukrainian Cossack song "Bayda" (Ternopil, 2001), member of the jury of the 3rd All-Ukrainian festival-competition of folk choral groups named after P. Demutskyi (Kyiv, 2001), the All-Ukrainian festival of authentic folklore among schoolchildren "Batkivski porogy" and the Interregional music festival "Bukovynskyi zhaivir" (Chernivtsi, 2001).
Since 1991, Andrii Kushnirenko has repeatedly participated in the preparation of government concerts before the days of Ukraine's Independence, as the chief choirmaster, as well as the conductor of combined choirs at the All-Ukrainian Festival of Folk Art at the singing fields in the cities of Kyiv, Poltava, Lviv, and Ternopil, and as the artistic director of creative reports of masters of art and artistic collectives Chof the Ernivets region (in 1999 and 2000 in the "Ukraine" Palace).
A. Kushnirenko constantly provides assistance to amateur artistic groups of Bukovyna, and in 1983 and 1986 he held one-month seminars in Canada (Toronto, Winnipeg, Edmonton, Vancouver).
As a composer, conductor, folklorist, teacher and public figure, Andrii Mykolayovych Kushnirenko directs all his creative activity to the national revival and development of Ukrainian national culture and education.
Awarded with honorary titles, art prizes and other awards. The composer died on January 11, 2013
Creative activity
One-act folk opera "Bukovynska Vesna" to the libretto by A. Dobryanskyi;
Cantata "I pray to you, Ukraine" on own words for mixed choir, baritone soloist and symphony orchestra;
Music for the heroic musical drama based on Stepan Snigur's play "Flame".
Songs for choir and soloists:
"Love Ukraine" based on V. Sausyura's poem;
"Ukraine, my love" and the celebrated cant "A Wreath to Fedkovych" based on a poem by Mykhailo Tkach;
"Morning of Verkhovyna" to the words of V. Kolodiy;
"Ukraine in space" by T. Severnyuk;
"Zoreslava" and "I'm happy to be born" to the words of Ivan Kuteny;
"Eyes lit up with stars" to the words of M. Bakay;
"Peace to the Nations" and "Thoughts about Sahaidachny" in his own words.
Solos:
"I would like to become a song" to the words of Lesya Ukrainka;
"Eyes are the windows of the soul" in the words of V. Simonenko.
Vocal and choreographic compositions:
"Generous evening, good evening";
"Spring is red";
"Obzhynky".
Instrumental works:
"Ballad" for two violins and piano;
"Impromptu" for piano;
"Bukovynska suite" for symphony orchestra.
Recorded more than 1,000 Ukrainian folk songs and instrumental melodies, more than 100 of them were arranged for choir and orchestra, for example, "Chom, chom, zelemye moya", "Oh, in the meadow red viburnum", "Testament" and "Cherry orchard around the house" to the words of Taras Shevchenko, "Podolyanochka", "I'm standing on a stone", "Deep kirnitsa", "Burning pine";
Wrote music for the dances "Bukovynsky Arkan", "Metelitsa", round dance "Chervona Kalyna" and others, which were included in the repertoire of the State Honored Bukovynsky Song and Dance Ensemble of Ukraine and other artistic groups.
Organized and edited music collections published by the publishing house "Music Ukraine" (K.). In particular, "Bukovyna Rozmai" (1971), "Bukovyna Sings" (1972), "Ukrainian folk songs arranged by A. Kushnirenko" (1974), "Choral works of A. Kushnirenko" (1984), "Ukrainian patterns" (1988), "Bukovynsky gems" (1990), "Choral works of S. Vorobkevich" (1996); in the publishing house "Mystetstvo" (K.) - the collection "From Dniester to Cheremosh" (1969); in the publishing house "Karpaty" (Uzhgorod) - the collection "Bukovinian Wreaths" (1964).
In 2003, the "Musical Ukraine" publishing house published the collection of vocal and choral works by A. Kushnirenko "Rainbow Calls", which was included in the National Program for the release of socially sensitive publications for 2003.
A. M. Kushnirenko is the author of scientific works, articles and various reviews, in particular "Characteristic features of the musical folklore of Beatle in Boykivshchyna", "Some mode-intonational phenomena in modern folklore" (in "Folk creativity and ethnography", No. 1, 1967), "Sydir Vorobkevich and modernity" (collection of scientific works of the Academy of Arts of Ukraine "Art Studies of Ukraine" . — K. : Kyiv. — 2001).
A number of works from various concert programs, created by him in the team, were recorded on 10 gramophone records of the company "Melody", filmed in 6 movies. Numerous recordings of musical works have been made on television and radio.
Awards
1965 — Honored Artist of Ukraine;
1969 — Honored Artist of Ukraine;
1971 — Order of the Red Banner of Labor;
1973 — People's Artist of Ukraine;
1974 — Diploma of Honor of the Presidium of the Supreme Council of Estonia;
1979 — Certificate of Honor of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine;
1984 — laureate of the Taras Shevchenko National Prize of Ukraine;
1993 — laureate of the Literary and Artistic Prize named after Sydor Vorobkevich;
1999 — Order of the President of Ukraine "For Merit" of the 3rd degree;
2001 — badge "Excellent in Education of Ukraine";
2003 — gold medal of the National Academy of Arts of Ukraine;
2003 - honorary awards "Bukovyna" and "To the glory of Chernivtsi".
2003 — Honorary citizen of the city of Chernivtsi;
In 2000, it was listed on the Avenue of Stars in Chernivtsi.
