“The era of groaning and weeping is over!..”

Valentyn Lysenko made it into the list of the fifteen most talented people in Ukraine. On May 29, during a live broadcast on the STB channel’s show “Ukraine’s Got Talent,” among several thousand participants representing various artistic genres, his name was mentioned as an exceptionally gifted bandura player. Valentyn Lysenko, a native of our area, has been living in Volodymyr since he was seven, though he has spent the last few years in Kyiv. We were fortunate to interview him for our newspaper.

-Valentyn, please tell us a little about yourself…

-I studied at Volodymyr-Volynsky School No. 2 and simultaneously attended music school. I graduated from the Volyn College of Culture and Arts, then the Kyiv Conservatory. My father is a former military officer, and my mother is an entrepreneur and owner of a photo studio. After my third year at the conservatory, I started earning my own money. I have received and still receive offers from famous artists who want the bandura to sound modern in their compositions and melodies. In short, they want to perform works with an ethnic touch.

-Have you gained any moral and material benefits from participating in the show?

-Of course! I finished third in the third dozen. The success was overwhelming. The special feature was that, for the first time, an instrument like the bandura sounded new, modern, and youthful. I performed a world-famous composition by the singer Sting. Today, the bandura is unpopular because it is shown only in one perspective: to express groaning, weeping, hopelessness… That era is over! We need to move forward. And materially, I received more than I ever hoped for.

-In your opinion, what qualities should a talented person possess to become a master in their artistic field?

-First and foremost, they must have a positive mindset. If a person is not successful, constantly in a depressive state, they will lose their life energy and perseverance before they even begin, and then they simply have no right to step onto the stage. And especially not to whine on it!

-How can you tell if someone is successful or not?

-Like attracts like.

-Do you think your talent is innate or achieved through hard work?

-Both. It was some kind of divine providence and the efforts of my parents, especially my mother, who plays the domra and guitar herself. I also thank my music school teachers, who were the best! My efforts and work should, of course, be taken into account.

-What did you feel when you won such a long-awaited victory?

-I felt that there was an explosion that completely tore apart the previous era and opened the way for the new one. All stereotypical ideas about the bandura, folk music, and everything Ukrainian were shattered; it was shown that it is modern, not archaic!

-By nature, are you a dreamer, a romantic, or a pragmatist?

-I am an ordinary person who believes in success, has a persistent character, and is more of a pragmatist.

-It’s said that you are also a very skilled photographer?

-By the way, thanks to photography, I gradually entered the circle of famous politicians, artists, deputies, and businessmen. Now they book appointments with me two to three months in advance to get a photo shoot.

-You are young and successful; are you afraid of getting a big head?

-You know, these symptoms are present in those whose mother moves their right leg, whose father with connections and money moves their left leg, and someone else guides them like a guide; that’s when they have a big head. But if you achieve everything yourself through hard work, if you fall and stumble over your mistakes and then get up because you know you are the first and need to keep going, you can’t get that disease.

-Do you now feel firmly grounded?

-Yes. Now I even try to help my parents.

-You obviously won’t return to Volodymyr?

-You know, sometimes even Kyiv feels too small. Different offers come in; the latest one, for example, was from Moscow… But I always remember my hometown, and what was instilled in me here will remain in my memory for a lifetime.

-A rather delicate question: is there a loved one next to you?

-Not yet. Currently, I am focused on self-realization and approach this question thoughtfully. I think it’s never too late.

-What would you like to wish yourself at the end of our conversation?

-Not to stop at what has been achieved and to bring joy to people with my creativity.