In the summer of 2020, from July 29 to August 3, an unprecedented event for the Ukrainian music and educational space took place - the XXII International Summer Course "Orff-Shulverk". This project has existed since 1996 and for the first time outside the European Union was implemented in Ukraine. This is an act of great trust in Orff Shulverk Association of Ukraine, which was established only a year ago. The course was organized by Koloman Kalosh, Vira Zolkina (Austria) and Svitlana Fir, President of the Orff Schulwerk Association of Ukraine. The course was supported by the Karl Orff Foundation and Studio49, a manufacturer of Orff instruments in Munich.
The venue of the course was the National University "Ostroh Academy" (Ostrog city, Rivne region).
In addition to a purely professional goal - to deepen and further develop the principles of elementary music and dance pedagogy - this project is also aimed at establishing cultural ties between countries. The seminar was attended by about 100 participants from Ukraine, Turkey, Hungary, the Czech Republic and South Korea - students, teachers, therapists.
The theme of the course: "Elemental Music and Dance Education inspired by the musical style and form of the Baroque" reveals the methods of integration of the principles of Orff pedagogy and art of the Baroque era.
A rather strong team of seminar lecturers - international experts of Orff-Shulverk - worked in Ostroh:
Lenka Pospišilova (Prague, Czech Republic) is a teacher with extensive experience working with both children's and professional teams. She is regularly invited to international seminars on Orff pedagogy. Lenka Pospishilova is also the author of many publications on music pedagogy. Her master classes demonstrate methods of involving baroque music in the Orff process: dramatization, orchestration, movement.
Tomasz Borosz (Bratislava, Slovakia) - composer, pianist, teacher, music editor - a musician with universal abilities. In the master classes he harmoniously combined different forms of activity: movement, singing, body, playing musical instruments, emphasizing the importance of spontaneity and casual improvisation.
Vera Zolkina (Salzburg, Austria) is a specialist in combining dance and elementary music. Deepening into the aesthetics of the Baroque, creating a special atmosphere through the characteristic dance and movement - the main purpose of her seminars.
Judith Burkus (Budapest, Hungary) is an artist, ceramist, and modeling specialist. Her participation in the course became a highlight and decoration of the educational process. Familiarity with the elements of the Baroque costume and their manufacture in the technique of origami was the theme of the studio, conducted by the artist.
It is a pleasure to note the debut of two Ukrainian music teachers as teachers of an international master class - Svetlana Fir and Tatiana Chernous. Their activity in recent years is aimed at popularizing Orff pedagogy in Ukraine. The theme of their workshop was the adaptation of Ukrainian musical material - folk song and dance - to the Orff process.
In addition to a very rich educational process, the participants had a pleasant opportunity to see the historical sights of Ostroh city, feel the color of national cultures of the participating countries, get acquainted with the music of the Ukrainian Baroque.
