In the twenty years of the ensemble's existence, the young artists of "Volynianochka" have visited Italy, Germany, Slovenia, Serbia, Montenegro, Turkey, Hungary, Russia and other countries, not to mention numerous concerts in Volyn and throughout Ukraine. It is also significant that they had the opportunity to participate in the World Folklore Festival in Hungary, which is held once every four years and whose participants are folklore groups from 70 countries around the world. Not only the dancers but also the musicians of the folk music ensemble led by Oleksandr Fedotov performed with success.
Evidence of how the musicians from Lutsk played was also the fact that it was precisely the ensemble's leader whom the director of the folklore festival approached with a request and proposal at the closing of the event to stand before a combined orchestra of musicians from various countries of the world to perform the festival's anthem together. This was, as Oleksandr said, both an honor and a responsibility. After all, he had only one short rehearsal and somewhere over a hundred musicians previously unknown to him. Yet this special orchestra, conducted by Oleksandr Fedotov, played so well that it received a shower of applause from the listeners and the gratitude of the festival director.
The exemplary folk music ensemble "Volynianochka" has only eight members, but all of them are professionals and enthusiasts. Oleksandr Fedotov joined the ensemble in 1996. He received his first basics of musical education at Music School No. 1 in the city of Lutsk, then studied at the Lutsk Music College and eventually earned a diploma from the Institute of Arts of Lesya Ukrainka Volyn University. Higher musical education is held by violinists Nataliia Sakhaschyk and Liubov Sobko, by clarinetist and cymbalist Oksana Yablonchuk and Vasyl Taranovych. Double bass player Oleh Pushchynskyi is currently studying at the Institute of Arts of Lesya Ukrainka Volyn University. Special musical education is held by flute player Volodymyr Shenderuk and percussionist Oleksandr Kovalchuk.
Incidentally, with the exception of two musicians who played in the ensemble until 1999, when Oleksandr took over as its leader, he selected the rest himself. That is why today there are specialists here who understand their leader, so to speak, with a single gesture. His ever-present accordion is a kind of first part both as a musician and as the ensemble's leader.
If today we speak about the successes of the dancers of "Volynianochka," about the numerous productions of folk dances in the collective led by Olena and Oleh Kozachuk, it should be noted that they might not have existed if it were not for such truly creative cooperation of the dance directors primarily with the ensemble's leader and his musicians. Here no one claims primacy when searching for and finding various folk melodies, when jointly creating a complete musical composition for the dances. Because both the former and the latter well understand that there will be no interesting, expressive, uniquely original dance without a corresponding melody — now lyrical, now swift, now slow — which not only accompanies the dance but is, in essence, its integral part, even, if one may say so, the soul of the choreography. To everyone's joy, this is felt during every performance of "Volynianochka." Moreover, the ensemble's repertoire includes separate musical compositions with which it performs. Soon a disc with recordings of this orchestra's music is to be released.
And no matter how perfect the phonogram that accompanies the performances of even well-known dance collectives may be, it will never replace "live" music, no matter who says what. The world has already abandoned those phonograms. But here, for some reason, they have taken root and still find supporters.
It is no coincidence that the dreams of the artistic director of the Lutsk Folk House "Prosvita" and at the same time the choreographer-rehearsal master of "Volynianochka," Oleh Kozachuk, and Oleksandr Fedotov include the creation of such an orchestra of folk instruments that would unite the best musicians. This is deserved by the exemplary choreographic children's folk dance ensemble "Volynianochka," which this year received the Stepan Kryvenkyi regional art prize.
Nadiia Voloshko.