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Russian dance song music trio Cambridge, Massachusetts

Russian balalaika dance, song, and music Trio performed a concert in Cambridge, Massachusetts. The school assembly show took place on January 21st 2014 at the Buckingham Browne and Nichols High School, 80 Gerrys Landing Road, Cambridge Mass 02138.

VIDEO


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CONTACT INFORMATION

To get a price quote or to ask any questions, please send an email to msmirnov@yahoo.com or call (201) 981-2497.

ABOUT BALALAIKA VIRTUOSO ELINA KAROKHINA


Lead musician of Barynya Balalaika Duo is the balalaika virtuoso Elina Karokhina who was born in Leningrad (now Saint_Petersburg), Russia. She is the daughter of the 2003 Pushkin Prize-winning author L'ev Fyodorovich Karokhin and Galina Savich. Lina (Elina L'vovna) began her formal training at the Mussorgsky Music College of St. Petersburg and continued her training at N.A. Rimsky-Korsakov Saint Petersburg State Conservatory, earning a degree as an Orchestra Soloist. She continued her training at the Conservatory, which included a brief residency in Germany. After, she returned to her native St. Petersburg and completed her education, earning a Doctor of Musical Art degree in the Balalaika. Following her graduation, she began working as a musician, both as a teacher and as a performer, teaching balalaika. Elina Karokhina (Russian: Элина Львовна Карохина) served in the Russian Army in the Military Ensemble in the Northwest Order of Red Stars. As a balalaika soloist Elina has toured all over the world. When she moved to the United States in 2009 she founded and performed with Boston Russian Music Duo. Currently she is a musicial director and soloist with the biggest professional Russian music, song and dance ensemble Barynya based in New York, USA.

ABOUT SINGER/MUSICIAN MIKHAIL SMIRNOV

Mikhail Smirnov, Artistic Director/Founder of Ensemble Barynya, was born in Moscow, Russia in 1966. He has been in the business of Russian folk dance and music for more than 25 years. Mikhail Smirnov (Russian: Михаил Смирнов) is an artistic director and founder of ensemble Barynya based in New York City, author of many articles about traditional Russian dance, music and instruments in English and Russian. Mikhail received his Master's degree from the Moscow State University of Culture and Arts. As a child, he was a member of the famous "Moscow Boys Chorus" - one of the most prestigious all-male choirs in Russia. Before coming to the United States in 1991, Mikhail was a soloist in a several Russian folk dance and music groups including the Moscow State Center for Russian song, "Russkaya Pesnya", under the direction of Nadezhda Babkina. While studying in Moscow, Mikhail followed his passion for Russian folk culture by traveling to many different regions of Russia such as Tver, Smolensk, Belgorod, and Don River to collect Russian folklore at its source. He was surprised to find out that folk dances, songs, melodies, lyrics, and tunes change from village to village, even if those as close as a couple of miles apart. In these folklore expeditions, Misha recorded over 100 hours of Russian folk music and dances, performances on folk instruments. Later he has incorporated much of this original material into repertoire of his ensemble "Barynya" - the biggest (and many believe the best) Russian dance and music ensemble outside of Mother Russia. Mikhail is adept on a variety of Russian folk instruments including balalaika-contrabass, balalaika, and gusli. However, his favorite instrument remains the garmoshka, the small Russian folk button accordion used in Russian folk music and dancing. In January 2009 Mikhail Smirnov and dancers of ensemble Barynya were featured on national TV, NBC's "SUPERSTARS OF DANCE" - breathtaking international dance competition led by executive producers Nigel Lythgoe and Simon Fuller (American Idol, So You Think You Can Dance). This prestigious dance competition hosted by Michael Flatley ("Lord of the Dance") and Susie Castillo, a former Miss USA. Mikhail Smirnov was one of eight judges to decide which country will win. Of course, he can was not able to be judging Team of Russia... The show premiered on NBC network on January 4th and aired through January 26th, 2009.

CONTACT INFORMATION

To get a price quote or to ask any questions, please send an email to msmirnov@yahoo.com or call (201) 981-2497.