The evening after our much-awaited shared performance at The Freight in Berkeley, Kitka is pleased to host a very special Ukrainian folk singing workshop with Maria Oneshchak and Natalia Rybka-Parkhomenko, the visionary vocalists of Kurbasy from L'viv, Ukraine.
Singers of all ages, genders, backgrounds, and levels of experience are welcome to participate!
Date: Wednesday, October 29, 2025
Time: 7:30-9:30pm
Location: Lake Merritt United Methodist Church, 1330 Lakeshore Ave, Oakland, CA
Offering songs of beauty, affirmation, and resilience in a times of violence and resistance: Kurbasy channels contemporary connections to Ukraine's culturally unique polyphonic folk song heritage.
Kurbasy was founded in 2008 as an informal vocal gathering of singer-actresses Maria Oneshchak and Natalia Rybka-Parkhomenko. Since 2008, the group has performed across Europe – from the front lines of occupied Eastern Ukraine to concert halls in Western Europe and in the U.S.
Maria Oneshchak is a Ukrainian actress and vocalist, a leading performer at the Les Kurbas Academic Theatre in Lviv since 2004. In 2025, she was named Honored Artist of Ukraine. A graduate of Ivan Franko National University with a degree in drama and postgraduate training in psychology, she co-founded the ethno-music group Kurbasy in 2009, where she serves as lead vocalist, blending traditional Ukrainian folk songs with theatrical performance. She is a certified voice and acting coach, teaching stage speech at the university and leading workshops in vocal technique and expressive movement. Founder of the Studio of Body-Voice Practices “Unique Voice,” she also trains actors and artists in vocal development and diction. Active internationally, she has participated in major festivals across Europe and the U.S. with Kurbasy and other projects. A mother of two, she balances her artistic career with deep commitment to cultural preservation and education.
Nataliia Rybka-Parkhomenko is a celebrated Ukrainian actress, singer, and cultural figure, renowned for her powerful presence on stage and her deep commitment to Ukrainian heritage. Since 2006, she has been a leading actress at the Les Kurbas Academic Theatre in Lviv. She is a founding member of the ethno-music group "Kurbasy," formed by theatre actors, with which she performs contemporary interpretations of traditional Ukrainian folk songs internationally. She also leads the Ukrainian-Crimean Tatar project "Yuşan-Zillia."
This very special workshop is presented in cooperation with Center Stage, and Leleka Foundation, a Bay Area non-profit organization providing live saving medical backpacks to medics serving Ukrainian communities under seige.