Biography
Roman Hrynkiv — an outstanding Ukrainian bandura virtuoso, composer and bandura-maker, People’s Artist of Ukraine. He is known as an innovator who has combined the traditional sound of the Ukrainian instrument with contemporary genres such as jazz and folk. Born in 1969 in Kyiv, he now works as a lecturer at the National Music Academy of Ukraine.
Roman Hrynkiv is famous for improving bandura's design, making it lighter and more portable, which allows for the performance of complex jazz improvisations on the instrument. He is one of the few Ukrainian musicians who has succeeded in bringing the bandura to the forefront of the global jazz and ethno-music scene through landmark international projects.
Roman Hrynkiv has taken part in numerous cross-cultural initiatives and performed in over 30 countries worldwide, including Canada, Australia, Germany, France and Italy.
Main Projects
Feature at Al Di Meola's album "Winter Nights" (1999)
Christmas album & concerts
The partnership with the American jazz guitarist Al Di Meola proved that the bandura can sound perfectly natural within the context of complex jazz improvisations. Roman Hrynkiv took part in the recording of the Christmas album ‘Winter Nights’ (1999), released on the renowned label Telarc International. The musicians have repeatedly shared the stage at major jazz festivals in the US and Europe, showcasing a synthesis of guitar technique and the Ukrainian multi-stringed instrument.
Other projects
Of particular note are Roman’s joint recordings with the Crimean Tatar guitar virtuoso Enver Izmailov, featured in instrumental compilations on Apple Music.
One of the most interesting examples is the collaborative work on the track ‘Krashen Vechir’ with Ukrainian singer Katya Chilly, later remixed by the master of experimental electronic music Zavoloka
(idea and connection by Olha Kovalevska), which demonstrates Hrynkiv's openness to the most contemporary genres.
Enver Izmailov
Press
“After unpredictably releasing a 1999 Christmas album strangely enough in conjunction with Ukrainian bandura player, Roman Hrynkiv, Di Meola once again indulges his passion for what is truly world music...”
AAJ Staff, All About Jazz
“...Roman Hrynkiv, a Ukrainian who plays the harp/lute-like bandura. The national instrument of Ukraine, the no-fret bandura, is plucked, yielding an airy, harpsichord-like sound which serves as an effective acoustic foil to Di Meola’s guitar. ”
David Lynch, The Austin Chronicle
“He is not just a bandura player; he is a great musician and an innovator. Fortunately, he just happened to have a bandura in his hands. As it turned out, the West came to regard it as a fully-fledged (though rather exotic) instrument before we were able to shake off our stereotypes about the bandura. Of course, it’s easier for them. Not least because, around two years ago, it was Roman Hrynkiv himself who was one of those who introduced the instrument to Western audiences. Thanks largely to him, performances of classical or jazz music, as well as folk music, on the bandura are now accepted as entirely natural.”
Vyacheslav Kryshchovych Jr., "The Day" (Den', Ukraine)
Videos
