You're reading: Jostiband brings joy of sincere music to Kyiv

Thirty five people sat on the ornate stage of Ukraine’s National Philharmonic. They were dressed for rehearsal in their orchestra uniforms of vinous jackets and black trousers. The group chatted with each other, laughed and looked curiously around. They were members of Jostiband, a Dutch orchestra whose members have various mental disabilities, including Down syndrome.  

Jostiband was
founded in 1966 and consists of 170 musicians. This is the first time that 35 of
the band’s members came to Ukraine to perform on Jan. 29 in Kyiv’s October (Zhovtnevyi)
Palace.  

“We do feel
all the welcoming warmth here and we do hope that the main concert tomorrow is
successful,” said Lyan Verburg, the orchestra’s conductor, during a news conference
on Jan. 28. “But this is not only about music, it’s more to show others that
people with big problems also have big possibilities,” she explained.

A local
charity group Down Syndrome helped organize the Kyiv concert with the Dutch
Embassy. Even though the concert is not a fundraising event, all the money raised
from ticket sales – some Hr 30,000 — will be given to development programs for
Ukrainian people with Down syndrome, said Serhii Kuryanov, the head of the
local group. His child has Down syndrome.

“We want to
inspire parents with such children with this concert and say that they
shouldn’t give up on their kids,” he said.

Unlike
Ukraine, in the Netherlands people with special needs are involved in different
state programs that are supposed to help them lead dignified lives in Dutch
society. “Music is just a hobby for Jostiband musicians,” Verburg said. “Most
of them have jobs to support themselves and are employed with different state
and private companies.” 

A member of Dutch Jostiband orchestra whose members have various mental disabilities, including Down syndrome, plays cymbals during the rehersal before the concert in Kyiv, on jan. 28.

Jose deVos,
a 35-year old pianist, has been in the orchestra for 12 years. She also works
as a cleaning lady in the archive department of a plant in the Netherlands and
lives as actively as she can. “I also go in for ballroom dancing and have a
partner,” she says proudly.

She joined Jostiband
with her friends and says that all the orchestra members are her friends now.
“Every Wednesday we all play together, all 170 people and this is just such
fun, we love each other,” she says. “And this music goes straight from our
hearts.”

Verburg has
been the conductor of Jostiband for 31 years. She first came when she brought
her older brother, who has Down syndrome, and stayed. “I was a schoolgirl back
then, but the idea of the band touched me deeply and since then I chose orthopedagogics
(taking care of people with special needs) as my profession,” she says.

Verburg
obviously loves her job.  Her interaction
starts from the first seconds on stage. She laughs with the musicians, makes
jokes, walks among them and helps adjusting their instruments and then gives
them a sign to start.

The music
sounds like a perfect symphony, just as any other orchestra. “We play
everything from Rock and Roll to Bakh,” Verburg says. “Including religious and
folk music,” she adds.

As de Vos
looks at her conductor, her eyes fill with admiration. “Well she can be strict
with us, but sometimes we laugh too much, so we need it,” she giggles with friends
before they start the next piece.

To book a ticket call (044) 592-2992

Jostiband Orchestra. Jan.29. Zhovtnevy Palats (1 Instytutska st.). 7 p.m. Hr 30 ”

Kyiv Post staff writer Daryna Shevchenko could be reached at [email protected]