BRAMA, March 8, 2002, 11 am ET

Kobzar-Lirnyk, Vasyl Nechepa Ukrainian Kobzar-Lirnyk, Vasyl Nechepa, is currently on tour in the United States, performing at universities and for Ukrainian communities across the country. Mr. Nechepa is a trophy winner of the "Voice of Ukraine Festival 2001" and featured soloist of the Chernigiv Philharmonic. He graduated from the Music School of Chernigiv with degree in violin. He is also a graduate of the Chernigiv College of Music in the department of conducting and vocal. However, for the last 20 years Vasyl Nechepa has been performing as a kobzar-lirnyk. He also travels from village to village and collects old folksongs and ballads, some of which he uses in his programs. Mr. Nechepa has 7 programs, 1hour each. He accompanies himself on the Lira and Kobza, authentic replicas of antique, uniquely Ukrainian stringed instruments handmade by master craftsmen. Vasyl Nechepa wears a kozak-like costume and delightfully weaves between his songs interesting trivia about Ukrainian history, religion, ecology, culture, etc. He methodically explains the fascinating origins of the songs and the culture from which they came. Mr. Nechepa's presentations are both dramatic and humorous. He is very warm and personable and relates well to every audience, regardless of the language and cultural differences. At the end of the concert, his audience is left longing for more. His greatest desire is to share not only his vocal and instrumental talent, but also the history and culture of Ukraine. Ukraine could appropriately call him its "Cultural Ambassador." Mr. Nechepa is especially proud of Ukraine's ten years of independence. Carved on his instrument is a likeness of Taras Shevchenko, Ukraine's greatest poet, who studied the United States' form of government and in one of his poems noted that other countries should duplicate the "righteous" laws of the United States. Vasyl Nechepa was born on September 1, 1950 in a small Kozak city, Nosivka, which is situated on the Chernigivshchyna. Beginning at the age of 7, Mr. Nechepa studied voice and violin under the folk musician Olexander Sopiga.He studied conducting under Leonid Pashyn and was also taught by Sergey Kozak of the Kiev Musical Academy. In 1967 he became a featured soloist of the renowned Desna national Choir. Mr. Nechepa created, performed and managed the Chernigiv Folk Choir. He also created the folk ensemble "Sivery" under the Chernigiv Philharmonic. The last 20 years performing as Kobzar-Lirnyk, Vasyl Nechepa have toured the entire Ukraine, Australia, the USA, England, Belarus, Belgium, India, Canada, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Lebanon, Moldova, Netherlands, Germany, Poland, Russia, Singapore, Slovakia, Hungary, France, Czech Republic, etc. In cooperation with other writers and composers and Director Leonid Otryukh, Mr. Nechepa created the unique concert mono-performance "Songs from the beautiful river Desna," "Across the Centuries and Hearts" (Memoirs of Taras Shevchenko)," "Mother's songs" (Songs recorded by Olexander Dovjenko from his mother), "Starry Eternity" (About the Chumaks)," "We were the Kozaks, too," "There was once in Ukraine" (Lesson for children), "Why are you crying Kalina?" (Modern songs about Ukraine), etc. Kobzar-Lirnyk Vasyl Nechepa represents the old-cultured kobzar's School of Chernigiv and is a follower of Terentiy Parhomenko and Avraam Greben. The Kobza he uses was made by the Chernigiv master Mykola Eschenko, after the instrument of Terentiy Parhomenko, which was made in 1906 by a well-known master of that time Alexander Kornievskiy. Over a period of 10 years Mr. Kornievskiy has taught Vasil Nechepa how to play the Kobza and Lira. The Kobza is a diatonic instrument, tuned in sol-minor. The 7-bass and 16 strings, with the unique peremykachamy (changers) on every string, gives the opportunity to change the tune. Mr. Nechepa's Lira was made in a Ternopilshchyna workshop and is a chromatic instrument. Vasyl Nechepa is a member of the Ukrainian Association of Kobzars and a well-known Kobzar of the city of Slavutych and Stol'niy. He is the winner of the literary award of the Nechuy Levytskiy. In support of Chernobyl In spite of his friend's cautions that he could be imprisoned in Siberia upon his return to the Soviet Union, Mr.Nechepa in 1987 gave a radio interview in Australia and spoke about the terrible Chernobyl nuclear incident. Fortunately, he was not punished by the Soviet Union. Vasyl Nechepa produced a concert program, "Why are you crying Kalina?" where he sings about the Chernobyl Accident. The song, "Cranes Were Flying Towards Chernobyl" was heard as far away as Australia. In October of 1989 , family of the Ukrainian immigrants Botte invited him to come to Australia again. He then left Ukraine and toured through Yugoslavia, Egypt, India, Singapore, Australia, Canada, USA, and Belgium. Money that was raised in Australia was used to buy fibrogastroscopes ($12,000 each), which were donated, to the Children's Hospital in Chernigiv. The Canadian concerts purchased ten tons of medical supplies. In February 1990, Vasyl Nechepa traveled to the USA, where he gave concerts in Washington, New York, Philadelphia, Rochester and Newark. Mr.Nechepa is grateful to the Ukrainian Diaspora and proud that he was able to be a part of that fundraiser. During his concerts with the assistance of the Ukrainian Diaspora, Mr. Nechepa's efforts contributed towards raising enough humanitarian aid to fill "Ruslan," the largest plane in the world. 83 tons were donated and sent to Ukraine. Vasyl Nechepa organized a charitable fund that is supervised by the Derevyanka family in Belgium. Over 10 years of giving concerts in Western Europe more then 200 tons of humanitarian aid was collected and sent to Ukraine. The Regional Hospital of Chernigiv received a $1 million ultrasound that was brought from one of Mr. Nechepa's trips. Current Projects Vasyl Nechepa organizes boy's Kobzar groups in Ukraine. The Chernigiv group, "Sokoliki", has more than 50 members. Mr.Nechepa, as a member of the Ukrainian organization "Nestor Mahno" wants to raise enough money to donate his audiotapes and CDs of cultural folksongs, ballads and legends to all of the Ukrainian schools. He wants the younger generations in 32,000 Ukrainian schools to know these ancient Ukrainian instruments, songs and cultural heritage. So far 1,000 of the schools have his first tape, "There Was Once in Ukraine", which includes ballads, folksongs and prayers. Mr. Nechepa begins his program with a Ukrainian song-prayer and asks for peace in the world.

For further information or other potential opportunities for Mr. Nechepa to perform, please call Tanya Nechepa at (405) 361-3051 Vasyl Nechepa CD's are being sold at every performance

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