The wild and crazy music of the Carpathian Mountains, led by “The Charlie Parker of Ukraine” ( WNYC Radio/”Next Big Thing”), Andriy Milavsky
http://www.cheres.net/
In the world folk genre, Andriy Milavsky is an Eastern European folk musician par excellence, and a highly accomplished clarinetist. His experience in Carpathian folk music spans 20 years as a performer, soloist, and arranger and orchestra leader with the top traditional state collectives in Ukraine.
His Ukrainian folk ensemble Cheres, based in Manhattan, is renowned as the “best purveyor of authentic Ukrainian folk music in the United States” (Archive of Folk Culture/Library of Congress). The group has played sold-out engagements in NYC (Town Hall, Joe’s Pub) and major music festivals on the East Coast (Lincoln Center Out of Doors, Smithsonian Festival Washington DC).
Cheres was formed by Milavsky with students at Kyiv State Conservatory in 1990. The instrumental arsenal is comprised of wooden flutes, double flute, pan flute, trembita (12-foot long shepherd’s pipe), ocarina, hammered dulcimer (cymbalom), violins, double-headed drum, mountain harp, double bass, and vocals. The band performs attired in authentic Ukrainian costumes.
Since Milavsky’s arrival in the US, he integrated into the Big Apple’s jazz scene and was fortunate to jam and perform with the city’s frontline jazz players. He has appeared with the Kyiv Symphony Orchestra, the Amato and Riverside Operas; worked on experimental projects produced Off Broadway; and taught music privately and institutionally. His teaching experience abroad, as well as Stateside, has set a precedent among educators in music.
The name “CHERES” refers to the armored belt which is worn by shepherds and travelers in the Carpathian Mountains of Western Ukraine.
