New Conductor at the Chapel

On September 25, 2022, All Saints of Ukraine Chapel was pleased to welcome Christina Kowalenko as the conductor and reader of the All Saints of Ukraine Chapel Choir. A warm welcome Christina, and we look forward to your repertoire.

She has conducted at the parishes of St. Sofia (Waterloo), St. Andrew the First-Called (Edmonton) and St. Demetrius (Toronto) and guest conducted at countless Eastern Eparchy and national CYMK-UOY events. Christina also founded the Typika Choir, a pan-Orthodox ensemble, while in Edmonton, during which time she was the spiritual programming coordinator at St. John’s Institute. She has lead workshops about the origins of Orthodox sacred music and lenten music. During her time in Brazil, she worked with several local priests and parishes, teaching them Kyivan and obikhod melodies, and translating and adapting said melodies into Portuguese. In university, she also studied the semiotics of Ukrainian Orthodox sacred music. She has been conducting and cantoring since the age of 18. 

Christina has taught vocals and bandura privately as well as led vocal programs at the ODUM bandura camp (London) and Kobzarska Sich (Pennsylvania) and Vox Mundi choir (Brazil) and performs bandura with the St. Demetrius Bandura Ensemble.

She has sung and studied under the tutelage of Nestor Olynyk, Victor Kowalenko, Zhanna Zinchenko, Oleh Mahlay (past conductor of the Ukrainian bandurist chorus), Laurence Ewashko (past conductor of the Vienna Boys Choir), Oleg Suzanskyy (Lviv), and Bohdan Heryavenko (Lviv opera chorus conductor). 

Christina Kowalenko is the great granddaughter of longtime St Volodymyr cantor - Samuel (Семен) Olynyk, granddaughter of acclaimed Ontario maestro Nestor Olynyk, and daughter of accomplished conductor and mentor- Victor Kowalenko.