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Community Corner

Russian Folk Music Concert

Russians are Coming to
Manassas



 



Largest Russian Folk Orchestra
in the United States

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The Washington Balalaika Society
(WBS) Orchestra will return to the Loy E. Harris Pavilion in Manassas for a
free performance on July 27 at 3 p.m. The orchestra plays Russian and Eastern
European music on traditional Russian instruments, many of which were made in
Russia. Based in Northern Virginia, the orchestra, which has about 60 members
has played at venues from New York to Florida, including Carnegie Hall, the
Kennedy Center, and the Sarasota Opera House. In addition to the Harris
Pavilion, frequent Prince William venues include Heritage Hunt near Gainesville
and the Four Seasons Community in Dumfries.

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WBS began nearly 26 years ago
with eight people practicing in a basement. From that humble beginning, the
orchestra has grown to be the largest of its kind in the United States. It is a
regional orchestra, performing mostly in Greater Washington, but members come
Greater Philadelphia, Charlottesville, and points between. Members currently
range in age from 10 to 87.



 



Eleven years ago, Conductor,
Svetlana Nikonova brought her family to the United States from Saint
Petersburg, Russia, to work with WBS. A graduate of the famed Rimsky-Korsakov
Conservatory, she performed in and arranged music for the renowned Andreyev
Balalaika Orchestra. She arranges most of the pieces for the WBS orchestra and
teaches domra and piano. Her husband, Vladimir Zakharevich, (originally from
Minsk, Belarus, and a graduate of Rimsky-Korsakov) is an exceptional bayanist
with the orchestra, while their daughter, Varvara, plays flute, and their son,
Zakhar, is an accomplished composer.



 



Barbara Thomason, who lives with
husband, Scott, near Manassas, is the Music Librarian for the orchestra. She
has been with WBS for XXXX years and is still going strong with her sekunda
balalaika. Judy Humphrey, a retired educator from the Lake Ridge area plays
alto balalaika. She also sings with the Manassas Chorale. Pat Scherago of
Dumfries plays clarinet in the winds section. Her husband, Bob, often records
the concerts and helps with CD production. Pat and Bob are also members of the
Manassas Symphony and the Old Bridge Chamber Orchestra among others. Both Pat
and Judy are members of the WBS Board of Directors.



 



The WBS Concertmaster, Andrei
Saveliev, is considered the premier balalaika soloist in the United States.
Like Ms. Nikonova, Mr. Saveliev graduated from the Rimsky-Korsakov
Conservatory. The Concertmistress, Evgenia (Zhenya) Tochenaya is originally
from Kiev, Ukraine, but has been with WBS for over 20 years. Zhenya leads the
domra section and plays both prima and tenor domra.



 



There is an array of balalikas
of varying sizes, the largest of which, contrabass, has to be considered when
its owner purchases a new vehicle. The triangular balalaika is familiar to many
from its appearance in “Dr. Zhivago.” The less familiar domras have a round
base, which makes them want to slip away from the musician. They also come in
multiple sixes. A third stringed instrument is the gusli, which is a form of
table harp with a history that is centuries old. Depending on the particular
music, the orchestra also employs various percussion instruments such as the
korobochka and treshchodka as well as wind instruments such as the rozhok and
jaleika. Occasionally a boohai may make an appearance.



 



The free Harris Pavilion concert
will be fun for the audience and the orchestra as well. “It is one of our
favorite locations,” says Barbara Thomason. Barbara fondly remembers that at a
performance a few years ago, a WBS vocalist was supposed to hit her high note,
when a train at the adjacent station blew its whistle right on cue.” Bring a
chair or blanket and enjoy the fun!



 

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