I Am YEG Arts: Lev-Ivan Bulyk

Lev-Ivan Bulyk is a member of the Axios Men’s Ensemble and a newcomer to Canada. Originally from Ukraine, Lev is a physicist with a PhD in Experimental Physics, with a passion for singing. Since making Edmonton home, Lev has hit some major milestones including starting a family and performing on the JUNO winning project, Ukrainian War Requiem composed by Benedict Sheehan. In this week’s I Am YEG Arts story, Lev tells us about what it means to be involved in this powerful project with others who also deeply care for Ukraine, and the ensemble’s national tour for the memorial piece this fall (catch the Edmonton performance on November 6 at St. Basil’s Ukrainian Catholic Church). 

Tell us a little bit about yourself.

I’m originally from Ukraine, although before coming to Canada, I spent about seven and a half years living in Warsaw, Poland.

I arrived in Edmonton in February 2024 as a newcomer to Canada. In a way, I moved here because of my wife, Olena. While we were living in Poland, she suggested that we move to Canada and start a new chapter of our lives here. I accepted her offer. Then, after spending some time here, I made an offer of my own — I asked her to marry me, and she said yes.

Today, we are a young Ukrainian family building our life in Edmonton and raising our first child. Professionally, I’m a physicist with a PhD in Experimental Physics, while Olena is a musician and music teacher. Even though we come from different professional worlds, we share a deep love of music, which has been an important part of both of our lives and has helped us find community and connection here in Edmonton.

Tell us about how you got your start in the arts and singing. Are there any surprising ways the arts have complemented or benefited your science career?

Singing has been part of my life for as long as I can remember. In fact, I started so young that I don’t remember the beginning myself. My parents, who are a physicist and a mathematician, enrolled me in a preschool singing program. Later, when I started school, I also attended a music school called Dudaryk, where choral singing was — and still is — a major part of the students’ education.

To be honest, I didn’t always enjoy it. Balancing regular school, music school, and all the homework that came with both was challenging, and at one point I wanted to quit. My father convinced me to finish what I had started. So I stayed, graduated, and then put music aside for a while.

The surprising thing was that I eventually realized how much I missed it. During my second year at university, I joined a church choir, and from there, singing became part of my life again. Later, when I moved to Warsaw to pursue my PhD, one of the first things I did after settling in was find a choir to join. When I came to Edmonton, I did exactly the same thing. Through one choir, I found another, and eventually I became involved with Axios Men’s Ensemble.

As for the connection between music and science, I don’t think singing has directly made me a better physicist, but it has given me something equally important: balance. Research can be demanding and mentally intense, and choir rehearsals have always been a place where I can step away from work, recharge, and connect with people. Music has been my way of resting, relaxing, and escaping into a different world for a little while.

Tell us about your connection to Edmonton and what makes it home for you and your family.

When people ask me about my connection to Edmonton, I often think about what the word ​“home” really means.

I was born and raised in Ukraine, and then I spent more than seven years living in Warsaw, Poland. When my wife and I moved to Edmonton in February 2024, everything was new to us. We were newcomers not only to the city, but also to Canada itself.

At the same time, we did not choose Edmonton by accident. A large part of Olena’s family has lived here for many years, so from the moment we arrived, we were welcomed with incredible warmth. One of my favourite memories is that we arrived on February 29, and my birthday was just two days later. Even though Olena’s relatives had known me for only three days, they organized the biggest birthday celebration I had ever had. That was one of the first moments when I felt that I wasn’t simply moving to a new city — I was joining a family.

As time went on, I also discovered how strong the Ukrainian community is in Edmonton. Coming from Ukraine and having lived for many years in Poland, I was amazed by how many people here have Ukrainian roots or connections to Ukraine. It made the city feel familiar in a way I never expected.

Today, Edmonton is the place where my wife and I built our life together, where we got married, and where we welcomed our first child. For me, home is not only a place where you live. It is a place where you feel supported by a community and relatives.

Tell us about the Axios Men’s Ensemble, your involvement with the choir, and why it’s special to you.

Although my time with Axios has been centred primarily around one major project, it was a very special one: Benedict Sheehan’s Ukrainian War Requiem.

The work is dedicated to one of the most painful realities of our time — the ongoing Russian war against Ukraine. Even though I have lived abroad for almost a decade, I still feel a very strong connection to my homeland. My relatives and friends are in Ukraine, and everything that happens there affects me deeply.

What made this project so meaningful was the opportunity to share those feelings with others. Participating in the Ukrainian War Requiem alongside people who care deeply about Ukraine — many of them descendants of Ukrainians who have maintained that connection across generations — made me feel less alone. There was something profoundly comforting about knowing that so many people were willing to dedicate their time, energy, and talent to a project that honours Ukraine and its people.

That is what makes Axios special to me. Beyond the music itself, it brought together a community of people who genuinely care. I am deeply grateful to every member of Axios and all the other ensembles that participated in making the Ukrainian War Requiem possible.

For this project, the goal was never just to make beautiful music. It was also about remembrance, solidarity, and supporting one another through a difficult time.

Congratulations to Axios for winning a Juno for Classical Album of the Year (Large Ensemble)! Tell us what the experience of winning was like and what this major recognition means to you and the choir.

Winning a Juno made the experience of participating in the Ukrainian War Requiem even more meaningful.

First of all, it is a recognition of the extraordinary artistic achievement behind the project. Benedict Sheehan created a powerful, deeply moving, and masterfully crafted work. As performers, we already knew how beautiful and impactful the music was, but receiving a Juno means that the broader community of professional musicians and music experts recognized that excellence as well. It is a confirmation that this was not only a meaningful project for those involved, but also a work of exceptional artistic merit.

At the same time, I think the award recognizes something beyond the music itself. The Ukrainian War Requiem is connected to one of the defining tragedies of our time — the ongoing Russian war against Ukraine. When a project like this receives national recognition, it helps bring greater attention to the human stories, suffering, resilience, and hope that inspired it.

For me, that is what makes the Juno so special. It elevates both the artistic achievement of the work and the importance of the message behind it. The award tells us that people are listening — not only to the music, but also to the story the music is trying to tell.

The EAC is asking Edmontonians about why the arts matter now. Can you share how the arts have made a difference in your life? What do we stand to gain as a city when we fund the local arts, and what do we face losing if we don’t?

As a physicist, I often think about the consequences of technological progress. We create new technologies to improve our lives, but whether they actually do depends on how we use them.

Take smartphones, for example. They are remarkable inventions, yet many of us have experienced spending an hour scrolling and then wondering where the time went. Technology makes it easier than ever to stay at home and consume content passively. It can help us relax, but it does not encourage us to reflect, connect, or create.

The arts offer something different. They encourage us to leave our homes, meet other people, and share meaningful experiences and ideas. Whether it is a concert, a play, or an exhibition, the arts bring people together and give us opportunities to reflect, feel, connect, and create.

That is why supporting the arts is so important. When we fund local arts, we strengthen communities, create meaningful shared experiences, and inspire future artists, musicians, and creators.

If we stop investing in the arts, we do not just lose performances. We will lose the places where meaningful human experiences can still compete with the endless scroll of modern life.

About the Axios Men’s Ensemble

Axios Men’s Ensemble is an all-male chorus founded in 2003 under the direction of Boris Derow, dedicated to performing Eastern sacred music in both liturgical and concert settings for modern audiences. 

In 2022, the Axios Men’s Ensemble commissioned Benedict Sheehan, a two-time GRAMMY® Award nominee, to compose a memorial in response to Russia’s aggression in Ukraine entitled Ukrainian War Requiem. This war, which began in 2014 and escalated with a full-scale Russian invasion in February 2022, has tragically claimed countless lives. This music is a solemn tribute to these victims.

This year, the Axios Men’s Ensemble was awarded Canada’s highest musical honour — a JUNO Award for the Classical Album of the Year (Large Ensemble) for the recording of the Ukrainian War Requiem. This marks the first time in JUNO Awards history that an a cappella recording has earned this distinction in the category.