Sydney Balalaika Orchestra to perform in Chch and Ashburton

Sydney Balalaika Orchestra to perform in Christchurch and Ashburton

May 14, 2012

An Australian orchestra performing Russian folk music on traditional Russian instruments will perform in Christchurch on Friday, June 1, and in Ashburton on Saturday, June 2.

You don’t have to be Russian to enjoy the music of the Sydney Balalaika Orchestra. The group specialises in folk tunes played on the balalaika and other traditional Russian instruments.

Only a few of the 24 musicians in the orchestra are Russians. They are mostly Australians and include people of diverse backgrounds from Malaysian to Scottish and Armenian.

The orchestra has performed extensively in Australia, including in the Sydney Opera House and Sydney Conservatorium of Music, and at folk festivals.

The orchestra also toured Harbin in China in 2005, the Russian Far East in 2005 and 2007, and last year performed in Moscow and St Petersburg.

Despite the orchestra is amateur, its aim is “to produce music of the highest order and to produce the best Russian folk music outside of Russia”, says Andrew Smith, the orchestra’s president, at the website www.balalaika.com.au.

Performances:

Friday 1 June 7pm – Middleton Grange Performing Arts Centre, 50 Acacia Avenue, Christchurch. Tickets cost $15. Contact Dash Tickets
http://www.dashtickets.co.nz/. Doorsales also available

Saturday 2 June 7 pm –Ashburton Trust Event Centre, 211A Wills St, Ashburton. Tickets on sale at the Ashburton Event Centre

Links:
Korobushka: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AuEQHVCdbZg
Volga River: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YX4MoDOFF5k
Birch Tree: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4i7IJwvWErs&feature=related

Further information:

Sydney Balalaika Orchestra www.balalaika.com.au
Founded over 30 years ago by Volodya Savitsky and led today by musical director, Victor Serghie, the orchestra is dedicated to the folk music of Russia played on authentic folk instruments. Its large repertoire of light classical and traditional music is played by musicians representing a microcosm of Australia’s multicultural society - including Armenian, Serbian, Croatian, Dutch, Scottish and Malaysian as well as Russian and Australian players. All are united in their love of Russian music with its mellow melancholic themes juxtaposed with lively, energetic melodies. Besides the Balalaika, instruments played by members of the orchestra include the Domra, the Bayan and the Cimbalom.

Benefit concert
Learning of the effects of Christchurch’s earthquakes on the population of Christchurch, including the loss of valuable resources belonging to the Russian Cultural Centre Trust of Christchurch in Christchurch Community House, members of the orchestra wanted to help. All have paid their own airfares to bring two concerts to Canterbury, with proceeds going to the Russian Cultural Centre Trust.

“We are excited and touched by this gesture,” Mrs Anna Filippochkina, co-ordinator of the Russian Cultural Centre Trust says. “The Sydney Balalaika Orchestra has built up an excellent reputation in Australia and beyond. We are looking forward to people here enjoying the vitality and enthusiasm of their music making. These concerts will bring smiles to the faces of people in Canterbury.”

Russian Cultural Centre Trust
Established as a Charitable Trust in 2000, the early focus of the Centre was to provide much needed support to the Russian speaking people of Christchurch. A major focus of the Trust since then has been to provide Russian language classes for the children of immigrants and to provide other resources for the retention and support of Russian language and culture.

Besides the language school, programmes organised by the Trust include a Russian youth theatre, English classes for adult learners, health and ageing programmes for older migrants, and art, musical and other cultural events for the wider public.

In 2009 the Trust’s co-ordinator, Mrs Filippochkina, received a Christchurch City Council Civic Award for outstanding service to the migrant community.

In November 2011, she travelled to Russia to receive the prestigious Pushkin Medal from President of Russia for her contribution to preservation of the Russian Language and culture in New Zealand.

ENDS

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