Historical and contemporary determinants of saxophone education in Ukraine from the second half of the 20th to the early 21st century

Abstract

Based on the analysis of a diverse range of sources (dissertations, monographs, scholarly articles, and digital resources), the article explores the formation and development of saxophone education in Ukraine from the second half of the 20^th to the early 21^st century. The study highlights the prerequisites for the emergence of the Ukrainian school of saxophone playing, which evolved within the broader context of the European musical tradition and on the foundations of deep-rooted national educational and cultural processes. The historical origins of saxophone education are examined through the lens of the activities of musical guilds and brotherhoods that, during the 15^th-17^th centuries, laid the groundwork for instrumental training, promoted the development of musical notation, ensemble and orchestral performance, and the establishment of professional music education.
The article also outlines the impact of horn orchestras, amateur symphonic ensembles, and the work of musical societies, along with the establishment of conservatories modeled after European institutions throughout the 19th and early 20th centuries, which paved the way for the recognition of the saxophone as an academic instrument within Ukrainian musical culture. It is emphasized that, due to ideological reasons during the Soviet period, the saxophone remained a marginal instrument, while in the years following Ukraine’s independence it became increasingly integrated into academic music education and performance. The study focuses on key regional centers of saxophone education, particularly at the P. I. Tchaikovsky National Music Academy of Ukraine, the Odesa A. V. Nezhdanova National Music Academy, the M. V. Lysenko Lviv National Music Academy, the I. P. Kotlyarevsky Kharkiv National University of Arts, the R. M. Glier Kyiv Municipal Academy of Music, the Dnipro Academy of Music, among others. The article analyzes the structure of departments, pedagogical schools, and the personal contributions of practicing educators such as Yu. Vasylevych, V. Churykov, I. Hruzin, M. Krupey, V. Nosov, V. Zaitz and others. The article also addresses current challenges in music education, including transformations within the Bologna Process, digitalization of the learning process, implementation of information and communication technologies, distance learning, and more. The research concludes that saxophone education in Ukraine is in a dynamic process of development and transformation. Its progress is grounded in historical achievements, particularly the pedagogical experience of leading teachers and composers, while simultaneously being oriented toward innovation, intercultural dialogue, and global standards of professional training for musicians.