Ostap Nyzhankivsky was a prominent figure in Ukrainian music, a remarkable choral conductor, an active member of local music community and printed music publisher in Galicia; he was the author of solo, ensemble and choral musical works.

Ostap Yosypovych Nyzhankivsky was born in Stryj town. He studied in Drohobych preparatory school, then in Lviv Theological Seminary and in 1897 passed the exam for the place of music teacher at the Prague Conservatory. He also worked as a pastor for a while in Zavadiv (nearby Stryj). In 1885 Nyzhankivsky founded a music publishing company 'Muzykalna Biblioteka' (the Musical Library; 1885-87), which started publishing music works of local composers, such as A. Vakhnianyn, M. Lysenko, P. Nishchynsky, M. Verbytsky, C. Vorobkevych, etc.

O. Nyzhankivsky became well-known as an active promoter of Ukrainian choral art, a founder and conductor of 'Boian' (the Accordion) music group in Berezhany (1892), a conductor in 'Boian' in Lviv (1895-96) and Stryj (1900-14). He was one of the organizers and active participants in Shevchenko's concerts in Lviv, Ternopil, Drohobych and Stryj. Moreover, Nyzhankivsky was a co-founder of Ukrainian dairy cooperative in Galicia, and initiator of the Regional Dairy Economic Union in Stryj. In 1918-1919 he was a member of Ukrainian National Council in West Ukrainian People's Republic (ZUNR), and the head of district commissariat in Stryj region. He was arrested in May 1919 by the Polish government and shot in Stryj without any trial. In the national memory Nyzhankivsky remained an author of choral compositions ('Hulialy' (We Walked); 'Z Okrushkiv' (From Pieces), lyrics by Y. Fedkovych; 'Viazanka Slovianskych Himniv' (Bunch of Slavic Hymns); 'Nasha Dumka, Nasha Pisnia' (Our Thought, our Song), lyrics by T. Shevchenko), together with various solo works.