- Walter V. Bozyk
Volodymyr Bozhyk ( _uk. Володимир Божик) or Walter V. BozykCalifornia Death Index [http://vitals.rootsweb.com/ca/death/search.cgi] ] (
December 27 ,1908 inRava-Ruska —January 9 ,1991 inLos Angeles , USA) was a Ukrainianbandurist , choral conductor and the arranger primarilly for theUkrainian Bandurist Chorus .Born in
Rava-Ruska inLviv Oblast , Bozhyk studied choral conducting and voice completing his studies at theLviv Conservatory in 1931 andLviv University in 1935. He sang in a vocal quartet for Polish radio initially in Lviv and then moved toWarsaw where conducted various choirs.In 1940, Bozhyk became the music director of the Opera Theatre in
Ivano-Frankivsk (previously Stanislaviv). In November 1945, he was invited to co-conduct theUkrainian Bandurist Chorus inGermany .In April 1949, he emigrated to the United States where he initially settled in
Rochester dn and working in a bakery. He was later invited toDetroit in November 1949 to once again direct the Ukrainian Bandurist Chorus. In 1951 he recorded an album of records with the Chorus and continued to direct it until 1958.In 1957, he toured Europe with the Ukrainian Bandurist Chorus as co-conductor with
Hryhory Kytasty . The tour was not a financial success and the following year he moved back to Rochester to work in a tool and die shop. In 1960, he moved toLos Angeles where he became the choral director for the local Ukrainian Catholic Church and also directed a Ukrainian community choir known as "Kobzar".Bozhyk's arrangements, particularly of Ukrainian Christmas Carols and Insurgent Army songs have been included in the repertoires of most Ukrainian diaspora choirs and Ukraine.
He died on
January 9 ,1991 inLos Angeles .References
*Kudrytsky, A. V. - Mystetsvo Ukrainy - Biohrafichnyi dovidnyk, K, 1997
*Volodymyr Bozhyk - Bandura #17-18, 1986.
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