Ukrainian choral conductor, composer and teacher.
Biography.
Born in Velyki Budyshcha, Poltava region, into a large family. Despite the fact that the Popadychs had 13 children, only Fedir and his younger sister survived. After graduating from the parish school, he joined the bishop's choir in Poltava, from which he was expelled at the age of 15 because of voice problems. Subsequently, while working at a local bookstore, he continued his musical studies, beginning to learn the violin on his own and attending private music classes taught by F. Bazylevych, which opened in 1896. Soon he was invited to work as an assistant regent of the bishop's choir and a teacher of choral courses.
In 1904, he became a student of the historical and theoretical department of the newly opened Akhsharumov Music School. Popadych attended lectures on harmony and composition theory, studied piano and choral singing, but due to his difficult financial situation, he had to complete his education and left the school in the third year. After that, he took private lessons, studied French and German. In 1910, he passed the exams for four grades of the gymnasium and received the title of teacher. In 1913, F. Popadych became the director of the Boyan Choir, one of the organizers of which was also V. Shchepotiev. He taught singing and music at the 1st Poltava Men's Gymnasium, the Poltava Institute of Noble Girls, and private gymnasiums. From April 16, 1918, he was the director of the Poltava Ukrainian National Choir (later the Poltava Choir Chapel), one of whose active members was Ivan Kozlovsky. In the late 1920s, Popadych published a collection of Ukrainian songs arranged by himself and dedicated it to Mykola Lysenko, and also dedicated one of his best choral works, "The Heart of Music," to the words of M. Voronoi, to the composer's memory. In April 1921, Fedir Popadych became one of the organizers of the Leontovych Music Society. In 1925, he became the artistic director of the Poltava Bandura Chapel. At the same time, Fedir Popadych taught conducting techniques at the music school, and from 1928 to 1933 he held the position of director, personally supporting Hryhoriy Kitastyi, who was studying at the school at that time. In 1934, he moved to the city of Kolomna to live with his daughter's family. In the Moscow region, he worked as the director of the Palace of Culture of the Kolomna Machine-Building Plant, created an ensemble of Red Army song and dance, and worked on music for the local drama theater.
Works.
Fyodor Mykolayovych is the author of the compositions "1905", "Yakymivka Tragedy", cantata "My Soul Praises the Lord", march "Krytsevym Krokom", vocal works and arrangements of folk songs.
