DEPARTMENT OF MUSICAL FOLKLORE OF RIVNE STATE UNIVERSITY OF HUMANITIES IN CONTEXT OF TRAINING SPECIALISTD IN UKRAINIAN FOLK MUSIC CULTURE

Abstract

The contemporary system of music education in Ukraine is focused on the preservation, research, and popularization
of national cultural heritage. In this context, an important role is played by the Department of Musical Folklore at Rivne State
University of Humanities, which throughout 1979–2024 trained specialists in the field of traditional folk music culture and
evolved into one of the leading academic and educational centers of ethnomusicology. The purpose of the article is to
generalize the experience of the Department’s functioning, to analyze its principal areas of activity, and to determine its role in
the professional training of higher education students.
The study considers the stages of the Department’s establishment and its transformation from a structural unit
responsible for training leaders of folk choral ensembles into a contemporary educational and research center. It also
highlights the modernization of educational content, the implementation of innovative teaching approaches, and the
development of scholarly and creative activities. Particular attention is paid to the functioning of educational and
creative ensembles, the activities of the Laboratory of Musical Ethnography, the organization of folklore expeditions,
and students’ participation in competitions, conferences, and artistic projects.
It is demonstrated that the combination of theoretical training and practical activity contributes to the formation
of professional competencies among higher education students, particularly skills of authentic performance, research
activity, and the promotion of folk music heritage. The Department’s scholarly and creative activity ensures the
integration of regional traditions into the contemporary cultural space and contributes to the training of specialists
capable of professional activity in the fields of education, culture, and the arts. Thus, the activity of the Department of
Musical Folklore at Rivne State University of Humanities is of significant importance for the development of Ukrainian
ethnomusicology and the preservation of intangible cultural heritage.