The four-day Fourth Annual Farbotony Music Festival draws top international performers to the town of Kaniv
During the decade since the fall of the Iron Curtain, art and music festivals have slowly been spreading across Ukraine, which is now home to more than 40 such art and music celebrations.
Unfortunately, many Ukrainians who don’t live near large cities like Kyiv, Lviv, Kharkiv and Odesa have little or no opportunity to take part in these events. This is especially sad, considering that many of Ukraine’s lesser-known towns are cultural centhat many of the country’s literary heroes called them home.
Located 140 km from Kyiv on the right bank of the Dnipro, the resort town of Kaniv is one of the few small towns that boasts a large-scale international arts and music festival.
Running from May 1 to 4, the fourth annual Farbotony Music Festival in Kaniv will be staging concerts featuring classical, chamber, jazz and contemporary music.
Every year, the town attracts thousands of tourists. That’s mainly because it is home to the grave of national poet Taras Shevchenko, as well as a museum dedicated to his memory. The neoclassical Shevchenko Museum boasts an extensive account of Shevchenko’s life and work.
Meanwhile, as well as paying tribute to Ukraine’s rich cultural diversity, the Farbotony Music Festival brings the world to Kaniv with over 40 musical and theater performances.
“Kaniv has become a cultural and spiritual center,” commented festival president Ivan Taranenko.
Born and raised in Kaniv, Taranenko is determined to turn his hometown into a well-known, all-round cultural attraction.
The word Farbotony is derived from the Ukrainian words “Farba,” meaning color, and “ton,” meaning tone. He named the festival Farbotony because, he says, it represents the diverse program that the festival showcases.
The event has drawn top chamber and symphony orchestras, choirs, folk and jazz ensembles and singers from across Ukraine and from abroad. Past performers include Ukrainian folk singer Nina Matviyenko, Crimean guitarist Enver Izmailov, Irish button-accordion player Dermot Dann and Portuguese cellist Luis Andrade.
Although the festival is primarily a musical event, Farbotony has also held arts exhibitions featuring ceramics, drawings, sculptures and photographs.
Taranenko said residents of Kaniv and neighboring towns are especially proud of Farbotony, as they feel it combines the finest performing arts and visual experiences in a celebration of community inspiration, participation and passion.
“Sometimes it is necessary for artists to play for people who understand and appreciate classical music, as opposed to performing only in large cities,” he said. “City people often take these events for granted and only attend them because it is like a status symbol.”
This year Farbotony will feature performances by the Kyiv Art Academy’s choreography and drama department, the Kyiv Trumpet Quintet, the Tchaikovsky Bandurist Troupe, German pianist Frideman Klaibern, the Jazz ExPrompt group and many others. The performances will be held at various venues in Kaniv, all within close proximity of one another.
The festival is sponsored by the Kaniv city administration, the Trans Road Group and individual donors. Admission is free.
For more details about the Farbontony Music Festival, call (04736) 445-50, 437-50 or 433-48.
GETTING THERE:
Buses leave daily from Kontraktova Ploshcha at 7:40 a.m.; 11:10 a.m.; 1:35 p.m.; and 7 p.m. and take three hours
to get to Kaniv. Call 417-3215
in Kyiv for details. Tickets cost Hr 11.
Boats leave the Richkovy Vokzal station daily. Call 268-2083
for more details on ticket prices.
WHERE TO STAY:
Hotel Tarasova Hora (Taras’ Hill). Take Bus No. 2 from the center.
Prices range from Hr 13 to Hr 80 per night. Tel: (04736) 4-22-72.
Hotel Slavutych, 20 Enerhetikov St. Prices range from Hr 16 to Hr 75 per night.
Tel: (04736) 4-30-81.
