Alexander Koshetz facts for kids
Alexander Koshetz (born September 12, 1875 – died September 21, 1944) was a talented Ukrainian musician. He was a conductor, who led choirs, and also arranged and wrote music. Koshetz was also a musicologist, meaning he studied music, and an ethnographer, who studied cultures.
He became famous for sharing Ukrainian music with people all over the world. You might also see his name written as Oleksandr Koshyts (Ukrainian: Олександр Кошиць).
One of his choir's performances set a world record for the largest audience, not counting sports events! He also helped make Mykola Leontovych's song "Shchedryk" very popular. This song later became the famous Christmas carol, "Carol of the Bells".
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About Alexander Koshetz
Early Life and Music Career
Alexander Koshetz was born in a village called Romashky. This village was in the Kiev Governorate of the Russian Empire. He finished his studies at the Kiev Theological Academy in 1901. Later, he studied music at the Lysenko School of Music and Drama from 1908 to 1910.
He taught choir music at the Imperial Conservatory of Music in Kiev. He also led the Sadovsky Theatre Orchestra. Koshetz worked as a conductor and choirmaster at the Kiev Opera.
Koshetz loved to collect Ukrainian folk songs. He traveled around central Ukraine, especially near Kiev. He also visited the Kuban area in modern-day Russia. He wanted to see if the old music traditions of the Dnieper Cossacks were still alive. Many of their descendants, the Kuban Cossacks, had moved there. He found and collected many songs from them too.
From 1911, he was asked to lead a choir class at the Imperial Music School. Later, he taught at the conservatory. In 1912, Mykola Sadovsky invited him to be the conductor for his theater. There, Koshetz put on operas by Mykola Lysenko and others.
He worked as a choirmaster and conductor for the Kyiv Opera from 1916 to 1917.
Touring the World with Ukrainian Music
After World War I, Koshetz helped start the Ukrainian Republic Capella. This choir was later called the Ukrainian National Chorus. The choir traveled all over Europe and the Americas. They toured from 1919 to 1924, and again in 1926-1927. Their goal was to share Ukrainian culture with people around the world.
In 1917, Koshetz married Tetyana Koshetz. She was a former student and singer in his choirs. Tetyana later sang in the Ukrainian National Chorus. She also taught singing. After 1944, she became a curator at the Ukrainian Cultural and Educational Centre in Winnipeg.
It was Alexander Koshetz who first performed "Shchedryk" by Mykola Leontovych. This happened at a concert in Kyiv in 1919. This song eventually became a very popular Christmas classic. It is now known as "Carol of the Bells".
In 1922, Koshetz moved to New York City. There, he continued to collect church music. He also arranged and helped make Ukrainian folk music popular. Koshetz wrote a book about the choir's travels. It was called With Song, Around the World.
In 1926, he settled in New York. He worked in the United States and Canada. He helped train new conductors by leading music courses. He also wrote church music, including five liturgies and some chants. He arranged many folk songs. A music publisher, Witmark & Son, printed many copies of his Ukrainian folk song arrangements in English.
From 1941, Koshetz spent his summers teaching in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. He passed away there in 1944 at the age of 69.
Remembering Alexander Koshetz
The O. Koshetz Choir in Winnipeg is named in his honor.
A special concert called Unknown Koshetz took place in 2006. It was held at the University of Manitoba. The Olexander Koshetz Choir performed Koshetz's arrangements of music. These included songs from Hawaii, Scotland, Afro-Americana, and First Nations. They were sung in both English and Ukrainian.
On his 130th birthday, a concert was held in Kyiv. It took place at the Uspenskyi Cathedral. The best graduates from the Tchaikovsky National Music Academy performed. The President Yuschenko supported the event.
Alexander and Tetyana Koshetz's personal papers are kept at the Ukrainian Cultural and Educational Centre. This center is in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada.
Koshetz's Music
While Koshetz was best known as a conductor, he also wrote and arranged music. In the 1920s, he composed his own liturgy. This was for the Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox Church. He also wrote ten Ukrainian religious chants. Later, when he lived abroad, he composed even more religious music.
