专辑简介

The Washington Balalaika Society Orchestra was founded in1988 and began with a group of 8 people who wanted to play the music of Russia, Ukraine and Eastern Europe on Russian folk instruments. The orchestra, now comprised of more than 50 members, includes 5 sizes of balalaikas, 4 sizes of domras, gusli, bayan, accordion, and a variety of winds and percussion instruments. These instruments were first brought to the concert stage in the 1880's by a Russian nobleman, Vasily Vasilyevich Andreyev, who elevated them from peasant instruments to the concert stage. You can read more about the history of these instruments on our website, www.balalaika.org. The orchestra is conducted by Svetlana Nikonova, a graduate of the prestigious Rimsky-Korsakov Conservatory,of St. Petersburg, Russia. Our group is comprised of dedicated musicians ranging from beginners to professional who come from the Washington metropolitan area including Virginia and Maryland.