Народний самодіяльний духовий оркестр
of the National Aerospace University

The National Amateur Brass Band of KhAI has a glorious history.

Music has always been cherished at KhAI, so one of the first "units" of the Kharkiv Aviation Institute rightfully included a brass ensemble, a string ensemble, and a choir.

KhAI String Ensemble (1936)

KhAI Choir (1959)

The history of the KhAI brass band is intertwined with the history of the National Aerospace University.

National Amateur Brass Band of KhAI (2006)

National Amateur Brass Band of KhAI (2019)

National Amateur Brass Band of KhAI (2024)

It's important to note that KhAI's band has participated in every official event in the university's nearly 90-year history. Many distinguished KhAI alumni, such as Chief Designers, Chief Engineers, and prominent scientists, were members of the band.

As a student, V.S. Krivtsov, the rector of KhAI from 1998 to 2017, was also a band member.

Over time, the leadership and the players changed. The now-known band was reestablished in 2001 at the KhAI administration's initiative.

Over the years, the band's performance level has evolved from classical brass repertoire (simple marches, waltzes) to world pop hits, music from movies, and complex jazz pieces with solo improvisations.

The band's creator and leader, Andriy Kindratovych Tverdyi, significantly contributed to this trend. He was assisted by the band's trumpeter and conductor, KhAI graduates Oleksandr Yuriyovych Beloborodov, who introduced contemporary and original arrangements into the repertoire.

In 2015, KhAI graduate and clarinetist Artem Olehovych Slobodyanyuk took over the baton as the band's conductor.

The band started regularly participating in national and international orchestra music festivals, where they became laureates and even won Grand Prix awards.

In February 2022, the band's activities were paused due to the war in Ukraine. However, within a year, the ensemble resumed its activities and performed at KhAI Day 2023. This was their first performance in a hybrid format, playing for both a live audience and online viewers on YouTube. Despite the new challenges all Ukrainians face, the KhAI Band organizes monthly online performances to raise funds for the Armed Forces of Ukraine. By June 2024, they had held 12 concerts at KhAI and various city venues, raising over 1.5 million hryvnias.

On May 25, 2024, to attract more attention and reach a larger audience, directly affecting donations for the Armed Forces of Ukraine, the KhAI Band set a National Record: "The largest number of musical pieces performed by an amateur orchestra in 10 hours." The certified registry inspector counted 94 pieces. With this achievement, the ensemble etched its name and KhAI into the history of Ukrainian records.

KhAI students, first-year students, employees, and Kharkiv residents, if you want to join a dynamic and growing ensemble, the National Amateur Brass Band of KhAI is waiting for you!

Performances