Artistic Leadership & O.Koshetz

Guest Conductors

Anatoly Avdievsky

Anatoly Avdievsky was born in Ukraine in 1933 and graduated from the Odessa State Conservatory where he studied conducting. Mr. Avdievsky is currently Artistic Director and Chief Conductor of the Veryovka Ukrainian National Dance Ensemble which has been in existence for more than 50 years.

An expert in choral and folk singing, as well as dance, Mr. Avdievsky is in constant search of new ways to merge folk singing with academic choral art and enthusiastically collects and arranges with great care the finest treasures of the Ukrainian folk repertoire.

Laurence Ewashko

Winnipeg born Laurence Ewashko is active as both conductor and baritone soloist. After graduating from the University of Ottawa, he completed six years of post-graduate studies at the Vienna Hochschule fur Musik und darstellend Kunst (certificate in choral direction) and the Vienna Conservatory (Diploma in Lied and Oratorio, first class honours). In 1978, he received a scholarship from the O. Koshetz Choir for special studies at the Gliere Music Academy in Kyiv, Ukraine

In 1986, Mr. Ewashko was invited to join the staff of the Vienna Choir Boys School and conducted one of the four touring choirs on two tours through North America and Europe. Upon his return to Canada in 1988, he was appointed music director of the Cantata Singers of Ottawa and has led them on tours through Canada, Holland and the Far East.

In 1991, he was invited to participate in a tour with the O. Koshetz Choir, conducting concerts in the former Czechoslovakia, Poland and Ukraine. In July of 1996, the University of Ottawa Choir took first prize under his direction at the International Kathamixw Choral Festival in Powell River, British Columbia.

Mr. Ewashko currently teaches choral conducting at the University of Ottawa, conducts the Calixa Lavallée Ensemble, the Choral Ensemble and the University of Ottawa Choir. He is Chorus Master for Opera Lyra Ottawa. A recipient of the prestigious Leslie Bell Award for choral direction, he has also recorded solo recitals for CBC/SRC and is in great demand as a choral clinician, vocal coach and soloist.