Celebrating a Living Legend…

by Ginger Kauto

The Toronto Mandolin Orchestra of the Shevchenko Musical Ensemble of Toronto proudly celebrated the outstanding contribution of a very special person. The entire season of 2008-2009 of this unique Ensemble was presented in honour of Mary Kuzyk who marked her 90th birthday on May 15, 2009. Although reaching such an age is an accomplishment in itself, Mary was honoured for much more than her age.

Mary has been concertmaster of the Toronto Mandolin Orchestra of the Shevchenko Musical Ensemble since its inception in 1956 and can been seen in that first chair at every concert of the TMO to this day. For ten years she was also Assistant Conductor of both the orchestra and choir of the Ensemble and in this capacity led the Shevchenko Ensemble on its second tour of Ukraine in 1989.

Long before Mary became a pillar of strength and dedication in the TMO and Shevchenko Ensemble she was an accomplished violinist and mandolinist actively involved in teaching and performing from a very early age.

Mary was born in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan to Ukrainian immigrant parents. She was introduced to the mandolin at the age of 5 on which she began her musical education. Mary’s real love, however, was the violin. In her preteen years, by saving nickels and dimes, and with the help of her parents, she was able to buy a violin. This opened another world for Mary and started her on an exciting and rewarding career.

Because there weren’t many opportunities to avail oneself of the finest teachers in this small prairie city, especially with the onset of the Great Depression, Mary continued to learn as much as she could on her own by joining every orchestra, whether symphonic, dance band, or folk group.

At the age of 16, Mary began teaching children in the Ukrainian community, many of whom became professional musicians.

When one puts the years into perspective, it is astounding to note that in 1991 when Ukrainian Canadians marked the 100th Anniversary of Ukrainian Immigration to Canada and their contribution to the economic, social and cultural growth of Canada, Mary had already been teaching music in that community for 56 years.

In 1938, while attending a training school for teachers in the Ukrainian language and music, Mary began to seriously work on her mandolin skills. She soon became one of the finest mandolin players in Canada.

Upon completing the course, Mary took a teaching post in Edmonton, Alberta where she taught music and conducted choirs and orchestras. The community was extremely active, giving regular concerts both locally and beyond Edmonton. Here she played a major role in one of the first performances in Canada of the Ukrainian operetta Kateryna.

While in Edmonton Mary also organized and conducted a group which appeared on a local radio program called Gypsy Melodies. In the early years of WW II Mary participated in many programs devoted to raising funds for the war effort for which she was awarded many tributes. Mary soon made her way east, ending in Toronto, where she married and another chapter of her personal and musical life was soon to open.

Besides her work in the Ukrainian community, Mary conducted women’s choirs of the Russian Federation and the local Lithuanian organization and performed regularly on the CBC radio program Echoes of the Volga.

In 1945, although now pregnant, Mary agreed to assist in conducting the first post-war national festival of Ukrainian Song, Music and Dance. After the Festival, and being blessed with the birth of her son Gary, Mary returned to teaching mandolin and violin and conducting choirs and orchestras for the Association of United Ukrainian Canadians.

In 1951 Mary relinquished many of her music duties in Toronto to the younger Eugene Dolny who had returned from two years of study at the Tchaikovsky State Conservatory in Kyiv, Ukraine.

When Dolny revived the Toronto Mandolin Orchestra in 1956, Mary became the concertmaster and worked closely with Eugene to develop the group and the repertoire. She also began conducting the Hahilka Women’s Choir, continued to teach mandolin and violin, and took a position as itinerant music teacher with the Toronto Board of Education.

Mary worked hand in hand with Eugene Dolny, founder and long-time Artistic Director of the Shevchenko Musical Ensemble. As concertmaster and soloist she set for him a standard of performance to which he could strive for in his orchestrations and in his expectation of performance from other members of the orchestra.

Among her accomplishments as a soloist was her performance of Budashkin’s Concerto for Domra which she played on the mandolin, both with the Toronto Mandolin Orchestra and the Niagara Symphony Orchestra.

Mary played a crucial role in the Ensemble when times were the most challenging after the death of Eugene. She assumed the role of Assistant Conductor with Andrew Markow, took chorus and orchestra rehearsals in Andrew’s absence and conducted segments of all major concerts of the Ensemble. Dedicating herself to making the Ensemble a vibrant and vital group in the community, Mary also played a leading role on the Artistic Committee by researching repertoire, organizing concerts and planning the cultural activities for each season.

In 1993 Mary was the recipient of the Canada 125 Medal for her outstanding contribution to Canadian society.

The Shevchenko Musical Ensemble in 2009 marked its 57th season and Mary was there from the very beginning. She has not only been the anchor, the stability of the orchestra, but has been a role model of professionalism, devotion and dedication to the mandolin orchestra. By her remarkable talent and steadfastness Mary has inspired and encouraged musicians to strive for the excellence she has demonstrated all these years and continues to display. Today Mary is at every rehearsal and concert of the TMO and Shevchenko Ensemble, tuning the instruments that need tuning and leading the orchestra as if the years have never gone by.

Included in the program of concerts and events to honour Mary were a Gala Banquet, all performances of the TMO, a concert of the Shevchenko Choir with the Welland Ukrainian Mandolin Orchestra on March 29, 2009 and a concert of the Shevchenko Musical Ensemble in Orillia, Ontario on May 3, 2009, as well as the Ensemble’s Annual Concert on May 24, 2009 where the printed Souvenir Program was devoted to her life’s work and outstanding accomplishments and her long and creative contribution to the arts in Canada.