This choir was founded in 1946 in Lviv regional popular art center by the conductor Volodymyr Panasyuk. In 1947, this amateur choir has been leaded by Yevhen Vakhniak and all the future development and artistic growth of the choir is related to him. In 1949, the group started to work in the Lviv cultural center for the personnel of communication services and very soon it became popular by winning the regional and national artistic competitions.
The group often performed in Kyiv, presented the Ukrainian choral culture in the Baltics, and also in Moscow and Leningrad. The press often compared the choir to the professional groups and named it “Trembita’s” younger sister”. In 1965, the chapel of the personnel of communication services was awarded the title of “Honored choir of Ukrainian SSR”. In 1975, the choir won the International choir festival-contest “Tallinn-75”.
The singing environment of the choir of personnel of communication services helped many young musicians to develop. The future conductors of the highest rank sang and gained experience here: Stefan Turchak, Ivan Hamkalo, Taras Mykytka, Andriy Kushnirenko, Ihor Zhuk, Mykola Popenko, Myron Duda, Bohdan Zavoiskyy, Ivan Nebozhynskyy, Orest Kurash, Ivan Maichyk, Zinoviy Demtsyukh, Vasyl Yatsynyak and many others.
The artistic activity of the choir was aimed to achieve the national cultural and educational mission and it was a kind of extension of the traditions of the community “Lvivskyy Boyan” (“Lviv Boyan”). That is why at the beginning of 1980, by the common decision of the conductor and the chanters the honored choir was named “Boyan”. That is how this name came back to the artistic environment of Lviv and this name is related to a whole era in the history of Ukrainian musical culture. When Yevhen Vakhniak passed away his life-work, “Boyan” choir, was named after his name.
In 1996–2001, the choir was conducted by Yaroslav Baziv and Yaroslav Hnatovskyy, in 2001–2003 – by Oleh Tsyhlyk. Starting with 2003 and by this day the group is leaded by Vasyl Chuchman.
The choir takes part in different festivals and competitions in Ukraine, Poland, Hungary, Czech Republic, Montenegro, Netherlands, Finland, Great Britain, France. Within the cultural exchange “Boyan” cooperates with the choirs in Poland and France.
Till 2014, the choir worked in Lviv cultural center for the personnel of communication services, and in September 2015 it moved to Ivan Franko National University of Lviv.
The repertoire of the choir counts choral pieces of Ukrainian and foreign composers (including the big form pieces), sacred and patriotic music, liturgy, Christmas carols, arragements of folk songs.
e-mail: boyanchoir@gmail.com
Tel: +38 (099) 3839118