Tickets are available online or at the door.
Please note: at the door we can only accept cash and personal checks.
Our soloists:
David Cooper, Balalaika
David C. Cooper has been recognized by Russian virtuosi for his artistry as a balalaika soloist. Pennsylvania-born, Mr. Cooper is an authority on Russian folk instruments (he plays them all). He studied conducting and performance at the Glière Institute of Kyïv, Ukraine and is the artistic director and conductor of the Atlanta Balalaika Society Orchestra. Mr. Cooper’s diverse talents also make him in demand in jazz, klezmer, and steel drum ensembles. He recently appeared in two productions by The Atlanta Opera playing banjo and guitar for “Cabaret” and mandolin for “Don Giovanni”. With his small ensemble, Balalaika Fantasie, he just completed a second performance at Temple Israel in Greenville, SC.
Yuriy Kolosovskiy, Domra
Our Music Director & Founder:
Victor Gorodinsky
Victor Gorodinsky is a Librarian Emeritus at the University of Wisconsin-Madison’s Libraries.
Originally from Moscow, Russia, Victor immigrated to the United States in 1982. He holds a Master’s Degree in Music (classical guitar and orchestral conducting) from Gnesin College of Music in Moscow. Before moving to Madison in 1995, he worked at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign where, in addition to being a Slavic Studies Librarian, he was Assistant Director (under the late Professor John Garvey) and later, Music Director of the University of the Illinois Russian Folk Orchestra, the official School of Music performing and touring ensemble. Under Victor’s baton, the 40-piece orchestra performed several times a year at the University of Illinois’ Krannert Center for the Performing Arts and toured around the Midwest.
In 1996, with the generous financial help from CREECA, Victor was able to purchase a number of authentic Russian folk instruments, and rehearsals began in the fall of 1997.
When Victor happens to have free time, he likes to spend it reading, listening to other music, traveling, and performing magic.