Jurij Fedynskyj (born 1975) is a Ukrainian-American folk singer, kobzar and bandurist as well as a composer, producer, luthier, sound engineer, cultural activist and educator.[1]
Fedynskyj was born in the United States, but moved to his ancestral homeland, to Kiev, Ukraine after the Fall of the Soviet Union to practice the kobzar tradition and to form musical ensembles dedicated to traditional Ukrainian music.[2]
He performs on the fretless kobza, a reconstruction of Ostap Veresai's original instrument; the traditional kobzar bandura, a reconstruction of Hnat Honcharenko's instrument; the basolia, or three string smallish folk cello; the bubon, or large Hutzul bass drum; as well as the modern piano, electric guitar, and drums.
Initially, Fedynskyj studied classical piano under Henry Doskey as well as the modern and traditional bandura under Julian Kytasty. He is one of the founding members of the Experimental Bandura Trio, along with Julian Kytasty and Michael Andrec. Fedynskyj studied with the Ukrainian Bandurist Chorus in Detroit, USA. He collaborated with the Ukrainian ska-punk band Haydamaky. He is the founder of the Kiev based ensembles Karpatiyany (along with Valeriy Hlyadunets) Run Through the Jungle, and Khoreya Kozatskiy (along with Taras Kompanichenko).[3] He is a member of the Kobzar Guild.[4]
Fedynskyj is also a maker of early music instruments used for vocal accompaniment, specific to Ukrainian culture, such as the Veresai kobza, kobzar bandura, panska bandura, Mamayivska kobza, lira, torban, and husli. He conducts expeditions in search of surviving instruments, creating an archive. He concertizes/lectures extensively[5] throughout Ukraine both solo and with his ensembles.[6]