Myroslav Levytsky

Early years and education

Levytsky was the first child born to the family of Vera Levytsky, an elementary school teacher, and Roman Levytsky, a doctor. From 1974 through 1980 Levytsky studies piano at both the Kalush music studio and music school. While neither of his parents were musicians "but they always had a sentiment to music." Though Levytsky did have of his relatives who were professional musicians, his mother's brother Cornelius Ilych Saiinchuk was a conductor, and his father's brother Myroslav Yevhenovych Levytsky who for many years worked in the area of folk music at the Oblast level.

Upon completing these studies Levytsky enrolls in the Ivano-Frankivsk Pedagogical Institute in 1980, and studies to become a music teacher. In 1982 while still studying in Ivano-Frankivsk Levytsky becomes involved in what is known as VIA music, or Vocal Instrumental Ensembles, these types of groups were allowed to develop as a counter to the influence of western Rock and roll and a way to allow domestic contemporary music to develop. His first venture into working as musician was with VIA Rosynka based in Ivano-Frankivsk. Before completing his studies and graduating with specialization as a music teacher in 1984, Levytsky in 1983 becomes musical director and keyboardist with the VIA Barvy based out of his home town of Kalush. After finishing his studies in 1984 he becomes much more active as a professional musician, continuing to lead Barvy in Kalush, takes on a position working in accompaniment on piano at the 'Students building' in Kalush for a year in 1985, while also participating in the show group Berkut associated with the Ivano-Frankivsk Philharmonic Orchestra.

The next five years would include many changes for Levytsky, it was the period of Perebudova in the Soviet Ukraine, Perestroika in the Russian language, under Mikhail Gorbachev.

Levytsky would find himself spread between three different musical projects in two different locations. Based out of Rivne, Levytsky played piano with Zhayvir during this period and also spent time with two Moscow-based groups: Wayland Rudd, Jr. and Irina Ponarovskaya, playing keyboards with both.

While working with Ponarovskaya Levytsky got his first taste of the concert tour performing in a great number of cities in Ukraine and other major cities in the Soviet Union.

Other events with Ponarovskaya

In 1988 Ponarovskaya begins a project called Ya pochynayu vse z pochatku, or I'm starting everything from the beginning. This project included a series of concerts at the Rossiya Concert Hall during 1988. That same year as part of the international festival Days of Moscow in Warsaw Levytsky performed as a session musician with Ponomarovskaya at the concert hall of the Polish Sejm.

Breaking free and Ukraine's Independence

In 1991 after working with Ponarovskaya Levytsky returned to Ukraine and worked as a pianist at the Yurstya i Steftsya" Theatre in Lviv and with the group Zahrava in Kolomyia.

In 1992 Levytsky with his brother Oleh Levytsky decided to form their own band in their home town of Kalush in Ivano-Frankivsk Oblast. The band included two former members from Zahrava: bass player Andriy Melnyk and drummer Andriy Vintsersky, they were also joined by Andriy Valaha on violin and Serhiy Taftay on guitar.

One of the first festivals they played at was the second and final Vyvykh in Lviv in 1992.

A year later, at the Chervona Ruta Festival in Donetsk in 1993 Braty Bluzu won the Grand Prix of the festival. It may have just been their composition called Authentic Life which had been receiving considerable airplay which may have contributed to the group's success at the festival.

Regardless of the group's success, it was faced by tragedy. Prior to leaving from Donetsk, the group's fiddler, Andriy Valaha at quite a young age experienced an aneurysm. The members of the group along with other musician's who were at the festival came together to ensure that Valaha received the care necessary.

Over the years Valaha was replaced by a number of different fiddlers including Oleskandr Dzhahan, Kyrylo Stetsenko, the great-grandson of the composer Kyrylo Stetsenko and Zakhar Valaha, Andriy's son.

From 1994 through 1997 Levytsky together with Braty Bluzy performed in Budapest, Hungary; Prešov, Slovakia; Munich, Germany; at the UNESCO Hall in Paris, France and concerts in Elbląg, Warsaw, Sopot and Przemyśl, Poland.