Yuriy Oliynyk

Yuriy Oliynyk (Ukrainian: Юрій Олійник; born 1931) is a Ukrainian composer, concert pianist, and professor of music who lives and works in the United States.

Yuriy Oliynyk was born in Ternopil, Ukraine. He was the son of a Ukrainian lawyer and started studying piano at the age of seven. During World War II, his family was forced to flee from their home to Austria, and later Germany.

In 1950, Yuriy Oliynyk emigrated to the United States. He received a degree in piano as a Bachelor of Music from the Cleveland Institute of Music and a degree in musicology as a Master of Arts from the Case Western Reserve University.

Yuriy Oliynyk has taught music in many places and is currently a teacher of music at the American River College in Sacramento, California. He was the first president of the Ukrainian Heritage Club of Northern California.

Yuriy Oliynyk is the composer of four concertos for Bandura and Orchestra, a Piano Concerto and numerous pieces for piano, bandura as well as vocal compositions. Together with his wife Ola Herasymenko, he has performed his works, along with other works of famous classical composers, across the USA and Europe. His music has also been performed by other musicians and has been recorded onto CDs.

In October 2000 a World Premiere of Oliynyk’s piano concerto took place in Europe with Oksana Rapita as soloist. Currently, Yuriy Oliynyk teaches music at American River College in Sacramento, California.