09/21/2026
On September 21st, we commemorate the 82nd anniversary of the passing of Olexander Koshetz, choral conductor, arranger, composer, ethnographer, writer, musicologist, and lecturer.
Born September 12, 1875, in Romashky, Kaniv district, Ukraine, to Anton Ihnatovych and Ievdokia (Mychajlivna) Koshetz. A graduate of the Kyiv Theological Academy (1901), he studied composition with H. Liubomyrsky at the Lysenko Music and Drama School (1908-1910) and served as assistant choirmaster. During this period, he conducted the Boiyan Choir, organized two student choirs, taught choral music at the Kyiv Conservatory, conducted the Sadowsky Theatre Orchestra (1912-1916), and served as conductor and choirmaster of the Kyiv Opera (1916-1917). He collected Ukrainian folk songs in the Kyiv region (1893-1900) and the Kuban region (summers of 1903, 1904, 1905).
In 1918, Koshetz co-founded the Ukrainian Republican Capella (reorganized in 1920 into the Ukrainian National Choir), which toured Europe and North and South America for seven years to win international and public support for the Ukrainian National Republic. In 1926, he settled in New York, composed, taught choral music, and conducted choirs. In 1940, at the invitation of the Ukrainian National Federation of Canada, he began teaching the History of Ukrainian music in two-month summer courses in Winnipeg.
The photograph is from Oseredok's collections and shows O. Koshetz wearing a performance outfit.
