Bandura on Bloor #9
2026/27 Concert Series
Borys Ostapienko
Juliana Lachance
Friday, May 14, 2027
7:30 PM
Heliconian Hall
35 Hazelton Ave, Toronto, ON
This performance will be followed by a post-concert reception for all the guests and performers!
A most unique finale to our 2026/27 Concert Season featuring Ukrainian-Canadian bandura virtuoso Borys Ostapienko and the talented singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Juliana Lachance! An evening of contrast and soft meditation for all music and bandura enthusiasts!
Borys Ostapienko
Borys Ostapienko is a professional bandurist, pianist, biomedical engineer, and avid volunteer in Toronto’s Ukrainian community. At the age of 10, Ostapienko became the youngest member of the Canadian Bandurist Capella, where he is currently the concert maestro. He performed at the Fifth International Bandura Competition in Kharkiv, Ukraine, and in 2018, he was the first Canadian-born Ukrainian to receive First Prize at a bandura competition in Ukraine by winning the Mykola Lysenko Bandura Competition in Kyiv. His most unforgettable performance was at Massey Hall in Toronto, where he was invited to showcase the bandura’s capabilities with the Ukrainian Bandurist Chorus. By blending modern aspects of classical, jazz, and pop music with traditional Ukrainian folk songs, Ostapienko strives to produce contemporary takes on timeless classics.
Juliana Lachance
Juliana Lachance is a multi-instrumentalist singer-songwriter who creates music that is psychedelic, ethereal and melodic. Her instruments consist of the Ukrainian harp known as the bandura, as well as the auto harp and harmonica. To learn her instrument and hone her sound, Juliana spent over eight years studying the bandura and learning the traditional songs and repertoire of the Kobzars; the original players of the bandura, who were often blind, being intrusted with the task of passing down spiritual ballads. For those of Ukrainian descent, the bandura is a very important storytelling instrument. However, many Ukrainians have never seen one played in real life, especially if they were not raised in a Ukrainian community. During her early 20s, she spent 5 years touring British Columbia as a busker carrying on the unique tradition of this instrument and showing hundreds of people the songs of Ukraine. Since then, Juliana has written and recorded 58 folk songs that span across 7 folk albums, as well as two pop albums. She has written, directed and edited 40 of her own music videos, all of which can be found on her YouTube channel, which includes short films and vlogs that document her life as a visual artist. Juliana has been featured in music blogs throughout North America and is widely considered a pioneer of the Ukrainian folk harp – the bandura. Despite also being a visual artist, with a body of work that spans over 300 paintings, 20 murals throughout the city of Hamilton and 6 short films, music continues to be her most important medium as an artist.
