The Women’s Bandura Ensemble of North America returns to Crossroads for its second festival appearance, following its memorable 2019 performance. This concert, featuring nine members of the ensemble, celebrates the bandura—a uniquely Ukrainian instrument whose sound carries centuries of history, identity, and cultural memory. Long a symbol of Ukrainian heritage, the bandura and its traditions endured repression under Soviet rule, making its continued presence today not only artistically powerful, but deeply meaningful.

Bringing together musicians from cities across North America, the ensemble is dedicated not only to preserving this tradition, but also to expanding it—exploring the instrument’s full expressive range through ancient melodies, Baroque influences, and contemporary repertoire. The result is a performance that is both rooted in heritage and vibrantly alive. This concert is presented in collaboration with Gallery 1516.