Papaduke

The journey for Vasyl Popadiuk from Ukraine to Toronto has been one of musical adventure. Starting in Kiev’s Lysenko School, he moved on to the National Tchaikovsky Conservatory of Music at the age of 18. Popadiuk’s father, himself a renowned composer and pan flute player, dreamt of his son following in his footsteps as a flutist but at the age of four Vasyl Jr. chose to play the piano. At six years old, he had fallen in love with the violin – an outcome predicted by a stranger before his birth.

Popadiuk has toured with several prestigious troupes, including Ukraine’s Hopak National Ensemble, Kiev’s Gypsy Music Theatre Company and the Nazarov Music Theatre Company of Moscow, with whom he played for several international dignitaries, including the late King Hussein of Jordan and Queen Sofia of Spain.

In 2010, Vasyl assembled the 6-piece gypsy fusion band Papaduke, who have played at the Burlington Jazz & Bluesfest and the Mississauga Symphony. Papaduke recently recorded their first CD.