Ukrainian Bandura Ensemble - Lastivka

Founded in 1981, the ensemble is both instrumental and vocal, playing traditional Ukrainian folk songs as well as popular pieces by western composers. We have participated in a number of folk festivals held around Australia, as well as overseas.

The Bandura is a traditional plucked-string musical instrument from Ukraine. Its timbre resembles a luke-like instrument. The Bandura is capable of many forms of musical expression. The instrument has developed over time, with the current factory-made banduras being chromatic: the 'prima/student' bandura, with 55 strings is tuned at half-tone intervals, and the 'concert' bandura, with an adjustable tuning mechanism has 65 strings covering the same range as the prima.

Pictured are the current members of Lastivka: Sofia Kulchycki, Michelle Barchinski, Naina Marks and Rhafaea El-Issa.