CLEVELAND — Now two years out from Russia’s invasion in Ukraine, the country still remains under attack, and the struggle is felt by the Ukrainian community in Cleveland.

 

What You Need To Know

  • Tuesday night, many gathered for a concert from the Cleveland Orchestra in partnership with the H.K. School of Bandura, to celebrate the sound of Ukraine’s national instrument, the bandura

  • The Cleveland Orchestra’s distinguished composer-in-residence, Allison Loggins-Hull, helped to bring this event, the first in a four-part series with other community partners, to fruition

  • Dr. Taras Mahlay, a physician by day, teaches classes at the H.K. School of Bandura in Cleveland, and said it was a pleasure take a moment to honor a piece of their culture, something that is needed to heal as their community deals with the consequences of the war with Russia

  • Loggins-Hull said her goal is to bring different cultures and styles of music together in unity with hopes of expanding people’s perspectives

Tuesday night, many gathered for a concert to celebrate the country’s rich musical history with the Ukraine’s national instrument, the bandura. 

The Cleveland Orchestra’s distinguished composer-in-residence, Allison Loggins-Hull, helped to bring this event, the first in a four-part series with other community partners, to fruition.

She hadn’t ever heard the bandura before coming to Cleveland for the Daniel R. Lewis Composer fellowship. 

“It’s very gentle,” she said. “It’s very angelic. It’s plucked. It’s stringed, and to me, it had a very celestial, sparkly tonality to it.”

Loggins-Hull, an accomplished flutist and composer, is now leading a series of four free concerts for the community.

The first concert, the Colors of the Bandura, was held at a local Ukrainian church in partnership with the H.K. School of Bandura.

“I love collaborating with other artists, other composers, artists who work in different genres and have different backgrounds,” Loggins-Hull said. “And finding different ways to bring these voices together.”

Dr. Taras Mahlay, a physician by day, teaches classes at the H.K. School of Bandura in Cleveland, and said playing the bandura always brings him joy.

He said it was very meaningful for both him and the students to be joined by the Cleveland Orchestra for the concert. 

“The kids were very excited, extremely well-behaved today, disciplined,” Mahlay said. “And, they played very well. I’m proud of them.”

He said the Ukrainian community is struggling right now because of the war with Russia.

He is going to Ukraine to help deliver aid in two weeks.

Mahlay said it was a pleasure to take a moment to honor a piece of their culture, something that is needed to heal.

“What’s also interesting is I call my medical colleagues in Ukraine right now,” he said. “They retreat to culture, to arts, to music, to help themselves heal as they deal with the daily problems.”

Loggins-Hull said her goal is to bring different cultures and styles of music together in unity with hopes of expanding people’s perspectives. 

“I hope this sets a precedent for more collaboration like this with institutions like the Cleveland Orchestra, these larger institutions that can come into the community and really come to where the community is at, and see what they’re doing and trying to find a way to come together,” she said.

This concert was the first in a series of four free concerts led by Loggins-Hull.

She will be leading the orchestra with the Fatima Adult Gospel Chorus at the Fatima Family Center on April 24 and with dancers from Karamu House on May 1 before closing out with a finale at Severance Hall with all of the community groups on May 11.