Ukrainian conductor and composer. Honored Worker of Culture of the Ukrainian SSR (1973). People's Artist of Ukraine (1993).
Biography.
Oleksandr Volodymyrovych Ohorodnyk was born on September 7, 1947 in the village of Sirnychky, Lokachi district, Volyn region. He died on October 27, 2020. His mother Khrystyna Mykolaivna and father Volodymyr Tymofiiovych had beautiful voices. Her mother sang in the church choir, and her father sang and played in the brass band. Oleksandr Ohorodnyk's sisters, Larysa and Valentyna, also have good voices.
He graduated from the eighth grade of the Zaturtsia school, to which he walked six kilometers from Sirnychky every day. Since Oleksandr sang and played, he was appointed to run a club in his village at the age of 15. As the head of the club, he was invited to participate in the Torchyn men's choir.
In 1971, he graduated from the Lutsk Cultural and Educational College.
Since 1965, he has been working in the Honored Folk Song and Dance Ensemble "Kolos" (Torchyn, Volyn region). He was an accordionist. Since 1989, he has been the artistic director and choirmaster. He is also the director of the Torchyn House of Culture.
Ohorodnyk Oleksandr Volodymyrovych
His wife Nina first danced and then sang in the Kolos ensemble.
Daughter Natalia danced in the ensemble and was a student at Lesya Ukrainka Volyn University. She was a constant translator on Kolos' trips. Nowadays he lives and works in Kyiv and only occasionally visits Torchyn.
He was awarded the Order of Merit I degree (2017).
Creative work.
Co-director of vocal and choreographic compositions:
"Volyn Wedding",
"Evenings in Volyn",
"Red Viburnum".
Songwriter:
"Ukraine" (based on a poem by Petro Perebeinis),
"Memories of a Meeting" (based on a poem by Sviatoslav Borodulin).
Arranged Ukrainian folk songs.
In 1991, Ohorodnyk's first song collection "Mother's Song" was released. He composes music to the words of various authors, both Volyn and Ukrainian poets. In recent years, he has been constantly collaborating with the Volyn poet Vasyl Gay. In 2004, their joint collection "And the House is Rich in Song" was published.
Awards.
Honorary title "Honored Worker of Culture of Ukraine" (1973)
Honorary title "People's Artist of Ukraine" (1993)
Order of Merit, III degree (2001)
Order of Merit, II degree (2010)
Order of Merit, I degree (2017)
