Ukrainian Music Institute of America

Ukrainian Music Institute of America (Український музичний інститут Америки; Ukrainskyi muzychnyi instytut Ameryky, or УМІА; UMIA). A Ukrainian music school established in New York in 1952, with branches subsequently located in Philadelphia, Washington, DC, Baltimore, Cleveland, Detroit, Chicago, and other cities in the United States of America. The UMIA was founded for the purpose of continuing and further developing the music program of the Lysenko Higher Institute of Music. It offers a 10-year course of study with an introductory year for younger children, a ‘concert performance’ year for graduates, and (since 1972) a preschool music program. The UMIA also sponsors recitals of guest vocalists, thematic evenings, and concerts of Ukrainian music and is active in music publishing. The group’s main organizer and first director (1952–9) was Roman Savytsky. Later directors have included Ihor Sonevytsky (1959–61), Zinovii Lysko (1961–8), Dariia Karanovych (1968–70), M. Bailova (1970–9), T. Bohdanska (1979–81), N. Kotovych (1981–3), and Karanovych (1983–99).

[This article originally appeared in the Encyclopedia of Ukraine, vol. 5 (1993).]