The choir was named after Olexander Koshetz in 1967. Although he never formally conducted the choir, it was his influence on many Ukrainians in Manitoba, along with Dr. Paul Macenko and his wife Tatiana Koshetz, that was responsible for creating the legacy in place today.

Olexander Koshetz

Olexander Koshetz was born in 1875 in Ukraine south of Kiev. After he completed studies at the seminary in Kiev and the Kiev Academy, he taught in Stavropol and also collected and wrote down over 500 songs of the Kuban Cossacks.

He furthered his studies at the M. Lysenko School of Music and subsequently conducted various choirs such as Boyan, St. Olha Women's Institute and the University Male Choir.

In 1916, he was appointed conductor of the Kiev Opera. During the revolution, at the request of S. Petlura, he formed the Ukrainian Republican Capella. This choir travelled abroad for several years to inform the world about Ukraine and its political plight.

He settled in New York and spent his time composing and arranging, especially Ukrainian liturgical music. Even while in poor health, during the summers of 1941 to 1944, in Winnipeg, he taught hundreds of young men and women about the beauty and richness of Ukrainian music. He died in Winnipeg on September 21, 1944, a few weeks after his final concert.

Walter Klymkiw 1951 - 1999

Dr. Walter Klymkiw was born in Saranchuky Ukraine and emigrated to Canada as a young boy in 1928. As a youngster he studied the violin but in later years his interest was directed toward the art of choral singing. He studied Ukrainian culture, music and choral conducting during the summer courses taught by Olexander Koshetz, the world renowed choral conductor, and made it a lifelong study. Dr. Paul Macenko and Tetiana Koshetz also influenced and encouraged him during those formative years.

He was the artistic director and conductor of the O. Koshetz Choir from 1951 until his death in 1999. He furthered his knowledge of choral conducting by studying with such well known conductors as Robert Shaw, Robert Wagner, Norman Luboff, Elmer Isler and Anatoly Advievsky. He was dedicated to bringing Ukrainian choral singing in Canada to a high level of performance and worked tirelessly to achieve this goal.

Dr. Klymkiw participated in many community activities and was recoginized for his contribution to the arts in many ways, including an Honourary Doctorate of Canon Law of St. Andrew's College in Winnipeg.

In addition to his work with the choir, he also wrote a book on the life of Olexander Koshetz.

Dr. Klymkiw dedicated 45 years of his life to keeping the rich choral tradition of Ukraine alive. As artistic director and conductor of the Winnipeg based O. Koshetz Choir, he created a living legacy for music that may have vanished under the Soviet rule of Ukraine.

Walter Zulak 1998 - 2000

Mr. Walter Zulak was appointed the conductor of the O. Koshetz Choir in September 1998 following the retirement of Dr. Walter Klymkiw after 47 years. Mr. Zulak has been active in the Ukrainian choral community for 30 years and is directing the Macenko Male Choir. In addition to having directed the O. Koshetz Choir, he has also directed the St. Michael’s Parish Choir in Winnipeg, the St. Joseph’s Parish Choir in Winnipeg, the Assumption of the Blessed Virgit Mary Parish Choir in Grande Prairie, Alberta and the CYM Youth Choir (Prosvita) in Winnipeg. Mr. Zulak was also the founding director of the Hoosli Ukrainian Folk Ensemble and has guided the recording of two liturgical cassettes and one folk cassette. Mr. Zulak has studied piano, accordion, and the organ. He was also fortunate to have studied conducting under Dr. Paul Macenko while at St. Vladimir’s College in Roblin, Manitoba.

Tetyana Rodionova 2001 - 2006

Tetyana Rodionova was appointed as choir conductor in August of 2001 and remained with the choir until June 2006

Tetyana immigrated to Canada from Kharkiv, Ukraine where she was vice-principal of a prestigious music school with an enrollment of over 1000 students taught by a faculty of 45 teachers. She was also conductor of a large community choir in Kharkiv.

Ms. Rodionova received a Diploma in Piano and Theory from Music College and then went on to obtain the equivalent of a double Master's degree in Piano and Choral Conducting from Kharkiv State University. Theory of Music, Conducting, Choral Literature, and History of Ukrainian Folk Song were among her areas of study.

After moving to Winnipeg, Tetyana acted as a pianest for the Royal Winnipeg Ballet and currently teaches piano for the Academy Music School. She also offers piano lessons privately through her home studio. To their great delight, Tetyana, her husband Sergei, and daughter Ira became Canadian citizens in late 2001.

Assistant Conductors

Corinne Villebrun

Corinne Kostenuk-Villebrun has been a member and assistant conductor of the O. Koshetz Choir for many years as well as conductor of the O. Koshetz Children’s Choir. Ms Villebrun has been involved in the music programs in the Winnipeg Schools programs for many years and recently retired from her position as Music Consultant K-12 in the River East School Division. A well-known choral conductor and singer, she also works as a clinician and festival adjudicator.

William Solomon

William Solomon attended St. Andrew's College where he participated in secular and religious choral music. In 1949, he became a member of the Ukrainian Male Chorus conducted by Walter Bohonos where he furthered his vocal training. He has sung with the Holy Trinity Cathedral Choir and the Continentals Sextet. He was one of the organizers and conductor of the Ukrainian Canadian Youth Association Choir. Mr. Solomon expanded his vocal training under the tutelage of Kerr Wilson and as a member of the Kerr Wilson Male Choir. He was asked to become a member of the O. Koshetz Choir in 1965 and subsequently became the assistant conductor of the choir and conductor of the choir's male chorus.

In 1985, he accepted an invitation to conduct the Hoosli Ukrainian Folk Ensemble and under his leadership, the ensemble has won two successive Manitoba Music Festival competitions. Mr. Solomon has also served as conductor of the Ilarion Youth Choir at Holy Trinity Orthodox Cathedral.

Russell Kapty

Russell Kapty matriculated from the Norwood School Division and obtained a Certificate in Architectural Drafting from the Manitoba Technical Institute. Russell devoted his life to the Ukrainian community, particularly Ukrainian folk dancing and choral music. He has been a member of the O. Koshetz Choir for many years serving as president for 3 terms and as the conductor for memorial services (panakhydas).

Russell has taught dancing and organized the CYMK choir and was church choir conductor for 18 years at the Cathedral of St. Mary the Protectress in Winnipeg. He initiated the incorporation of the Winnipeg Boys Choir.

Russell has served as Treasurer of the St. Boniface UNF for 17 years, served on the Board of Directors of Oseredok and presently is Chairman of the Board at St. Andrew's College in Winnipeg.

Guest Conductors

Over the years, the choir has had the pleasure of working with a number of very distinguished conductors, and 2 that have had a significant influence on the repertoire and musical quality of the choir’s voices are Anatoly Avdievsky and Laurence Ewashko.

Anatoly Avdievsky

Anatoly Avdievsky was born in Ukraine in 1933 and graduated from the Odessa State Conservatory where he studied conducting. Mr. Avdievsky is currently Artistic Director and Chief Conductor of the Veryovka Ukrainian National Dance Ensemble which has been in existence for more than 50 years.

Consisting of over 80 artists, the Veryovka Ukrainian National Dance Company has performed in the former Soviet Union, Western and Northern Europe, South and Central America and Canada, as Avdievsky puts it, 'to reveal the great soul of the Ukrainian people through song and dance'.

An expert in choral and folk singing, as well as dance, Mr. Avdievsky is in constant search of new ways to merge folk singing with academic choral art and enthusiastically collects and arranges with great care the finest treasures of the Ukrainian folk repertoire.

Laurence Ewashko

Winnipeg born Laurence Ewashko is active as both conductor and baritone soloist. After graduating from the University of Ottawa, he completed six years of post-graduate studies at the Vienna Hochschule fur Musik und darstellend Kunst (certificate in choral direction) and the Vienna Conservatory (Diploma in Lied and Oratorio, first class honours). In 1978, he received a scholarship from the O. Koshetz Choir for special studies at the Gliere Music Academy in Kyiv, Ukraine.

In 1986, Mr. Ewashko was invited to join the staff of the Vienna Choir Boys School and conducted one of the four touring choirs on two tours through North America and Europe. Upon his return to Canada in 1988, he was appointed music director of the Cantata Singers of Ottawa and has led them on tours through Canada, Holland and the Far East.

In 1991, he was invited to participate in a tour with the O. Koshetz Choir, conducting concerts in the former Czechoslovakia, Poland and Ukraine. In July of 1996, the University of Ottawa Choir took first prize under his direction at the International Kathamixw Choral Festival in Powell River, British Columbia.

Mr. Ewashko currently teaches choral conducting at the University of Ottawa, conducts the Calixa Lavallée Ensemble, the Choral Ensemble and the University of Ottawa Choir. He is Chorus Master for Opera Lyra Ottawa. A recipient of the prestigious Leslie Bell Award for choral direction, he has also recorded solo recitals for CBC/SRC and is in great demand as a choral clinician, vocal coach and soloist.