HRYHORII LEVCHENKO’S ARTISTIC AND PEDAGOGICAL ACTIVITY IN THE CONTEXT OF UKRAINIAN MUSIC TEACHER TRAINING DURING THE LAST QUARTER OF THE 20th – BEGINNING OF THE 21st CENTURY

Abstract

The article highlights the analysis results of the artistic and pedagogical activity of the outstanding Ukrainian teacher, musician, folklorist, professor, Head of the Music Department, and leader of the Ukrainian folk choir “Kalyna” of Poltava V. G. Korolenko National Pedagogical University Hryhorii Levchenko. The analysis has been carried out in the context of future music teacher training in Ukraine during the last quarter of the 20th - the beginning of the 21st century. It is emphasized that with his professional activity, H. Levchenko strengthened the process of providing education to students majoring in spatiality Secondary Education (Music Art) at the institution of higher pedagogical education. Attention is focused on the fact that during the last quarter of the 20th century, the teacher created a classical university department of music with a skilled staff. It is emphasized that during total Russification in the 80s and 90s, teachers led by H. Levchenko managed to adhere to the position of training music teachers based on the best examples of Ukrainian musical heritage. It is indicated that at the end of the 80s of the 20th century, H. Levchenko founded the Ukrainian folk choir “Kalyna.” It became one of the leading student collectives of Ukraine during the last decade of the 20th and the beginning of the 21stcentury. It popularized the folk art of its native land on the territory of Europe. It is established that an essential component of student education during the specified historical period was the combination of formal artistic education with non-formal artistic education not only in the “Kalyna” choir but also in other artistic and creative groups. At the beginning of the 21st century, these groups became creative laboratories of the department. Even today, students undergo musical and performing practice in conducting and choral, vocal and performing, and choirmaster training there. It significantly strengthens their professional competence. It is emphasized that the most valuable thing in Professor H. Levchenko’s work for more than half a century of artistic and pedagogical activity is his ascetic work on the formation of a music teacher as a patriot of his country, capable of preserving and multiplying the musical heritage of our people and educating the young generation on the best examples of musical art of Ukraine.