New Tyt i Tam video!

My Ukrainian party band, Tyt i Tam (pronounced Toot Ee Tahm), keeps a busy schedule in the month of January, playing Malanka (Ukrainian New Year) celebrations all around the country.  On the January 9th, we played in Toronto at a Pub Night before the main event on January 10th at Liberty Grand.  Both events were so much fun! We also managed to get some video of our set - here's one of our songs that will come out on our upcoming 2015 release, called Медове пиво - Щедрий Вечір (Honey Beer), a traditional Shchedrivka (New Year's Carol).  Enjoy!

If you like our sound, follow us on Facebook or Twitter, or check out www.tytitam.com.

New Video - Hutsul Fantasy

I uploaded a small excerpt of the folk-inspired concert at Toronto Summer Music Festival, July 24, 2014, Heliconian Hall, Toronto. More to come later... Гуцульська Фантазія - Hutsul Fantasy (trad. Hutsul/Carpathian Ukrainian)

Carissa Klopoushak - violin Alexandru Sura - cimbalom JC Lizotte - cello

Toronto Summer Music Festival: Thursday, July 24, 2014

I'm very pleased to be performing as part of the Toronto Summer Music Festival's Shuffle Concert series next week.  The Shuffle series, inspired by the mix of music you'd typically find on an iPod, are informal, eclectic one-hour performances by Festival Artists, special guests, and next-generation emerging artists. I'll be joined by my friends Alexandru Sura (cimbalom) and JC Lizotte (cello), playing Eastern European Folk Music (mostly Ukrainian).  We'll finish the program with a new arrangement of Ravel's Tzigane.  Looking forward to seeing you there!

Carissa Klopoushak & Friends

Thursday, July 24, 5pm The charismatic Canadian violinist performs a folk-inspired program with cimbalom player Alexandru Sura and cellist JC Lizotte.

Heliconian Hall, 35 Hazelton Ave

Pay What You Can

June 2013 - Australian Adventures

This past June, I had the incredible opportunity to work with the much talked about Australian Chamber Orchestra.  (If you aren't familiar with their work, check out their site and their many videos - you'll thank me!)

By some stroke of cosmic intervention, my Ukrainian band was approached to perform at the 65th Anniversary celebrations of Ukrainian Immigration to Australia celebrations the weekend preceding my work with the ACO.  We were well hosted by the Aussie Ukes, and were fortunate enough to perform in the Sydney Town Hall, a truly marvellous venue:

After an incredible weekend, the rest of the band returned to Canada as I began rehearsing with the ACO2, a group comprised of members of the ACO as well as former and current participants of the ACO's Emerging Artists program.

We prepared a unique and well-compiled program of Rautavaara, Vivaldi, Stravinsky, Handel, and Bartok for a six-city National tour.  I was fortunate enough to see nearly all major Australian cities, drank (too much) coffee, and worked with some truly creative and inspired musicians.

I look forward to working with the ACO again for three months in 2014.

The ACO rehearses inside the tall buildings on the right.  What a view...

Ukrainian Wedding in Hyas, SK

Musicians (Mark Klopoushak, Matt Gruza, Larry Klopoushak, Brian Cherwick, and I) play outdoors at a wedding of good friends of mine in Hyas, SK.