Russian dance and music concert in Cleveland, OHIO April 14, 15, 2007
M. Smirnov
Beck Center Armory, The Beck Center for the Arts
17801 Detroit Avenue in Lakewood, Ohio.
http://www.beckcenter.org
Sunday, April 15, 2007 at 2 p.m. Concert - Main Stage.
The Beck Center for the Arts.
17801 Detroit Avenue in Lakewood, Ohio
Performers:
Cossack folk dancer/singer Valentina Kvasova
http://www.barynya.com/kvasova.htm
Mikhail Smirnov (garmoshka,guitar,vocal)
http://www.barynya.com/misha.htm
Alex Siniavski (balalaika, Gypsy guitar)
http://www.barynya.com/alex.htm
Leonid Bruk (balalaika contrabass)
http://www.barynya.com/bruk_leonid.htm
Ukrainian folk dancer Andrij Cybyk
http://www.barynya.com/barynya/cybyk.stm
ARTICLE ABOUT ENSEMBLE BARYNYA IN NEWSPAPER
"Russian folk troupe to kick up its heels"
BY ARLENE FINE
Senior Staff Reporter for Cleveland Jewish News
http://www.clevelandjewishnews.com/articles/2007/04/05/features/arts/barts0406.txt
Copyright 2006
"If you come hear Barynya perform, you will save yourself the plane
fare to Russia," laughs Mikhail Smirnov, the leader of a five-person
Russian song-and-dance troupe.
While making a beet-and-cabbage borscht in his New York apartment,
Smirnov spoke about Barynya, which will perform at The Beck Center for
the Arts on April 14 and 15.
"We perform authentic Russian, Gypsy, Cossack, Ukrainian and
traditional klezmer music and dances," says the entertainer. "And we
use only authentic Eastern European musical instruments including the
garmoshka."
A garmoshka is a small button accordion used for at least 200 years in
Russian folk music, explains Smirnov. "It is easy to play and has a
bright, lively sound."
Many of the songs in Barynya's repertoire are tunes that Smirnov
gathered and recorded while traveling from village to village in his
native Russia. "Most of these melodies are at least 250 years old.
Many Russians in our audience know them and often sing along with us n
whether we ask them to or not," jokes the entertainer.
Along with theatrical engagements, Barynya performs at schools and
colleges. "Educators want students to feel the flavor of the Russian
culture," says Smirnov. "We dress up in full costume. The kids really
enjoy when we come out as Cossacks and sing, dance and go a little bit
crazy."
Barynya's contrabass balalaika player, Leonid Bruk, is the "finest
contrabass balalaika player in the world," boasts Smirnov.
Bruk had been a bass guitar player in Russia, but his wife convinced
him to learn the contrabass balalaika after they immigrated to New
York from St. Petersburg in 1989.
"When I first began playing the contrabass balalaika, I hated it,"
admits Bruk. "It's twice the size of a normal contrabass and twice as
heavy. It requires much strength to carry and play the instrument;
even my fingers were tired when I first began to play it."
Eventually Bruk got used to the contrabass, and now he loves it. "The
instrument has a haunting, low bass sound and is so powerful, I don't
need a microphone."
Bruk, who sells used cars as his day job, looks forward to coming to
Cleveland with the troupe. "I don't look at my work with Barynya as a
second job," he says. "I consider it one of life's pleasures."
Music teacher and Barynya's balalaika player Alex Siniavski, says
music is his life. "Like other Russian musicians and native Russians,
I can't live without this music," he says. "Because our repertoire
melds Russian and Jewish music, whenever we perform at Jewish centers
or Jewish weddings, the grandmothers and grandfathers, even those born
in America, begin to sing along with us. They remember melodies,
especially those from Odessa, that were sung to them by their mamas
when they were little children."
Siniavski began playing the balalaika 20 years ago. "It was love at
first sight," says the musician. "I always say, I didn't pick the
balalaika n it picked me."
ARLENE FINE
Senior Staff Reporter
Cleveland Jewish News
http://www.clevelandjewishnews.com/
Copyright 2006
NEW ALBUMS AND VIDEO RELEASED BY ENSEMBLE BARYNYA in 2007
1. Russian dance Russian music video ensemble Barynya 2006
This DVD is from live performance of Russian dance, song and music
ensemble Barynya from the John Michael Kohler Arts Center in
Sheboygan, Wisconsin in October 2006.
http://www.barynya.com/mp3/dvd.stm
2. Ethnic Russian Music Album
recorded by New York based Russian dance and music ensemble Barynya in
December 2006. Recording was made in Philadephia, PA ("AS IS RECORDING
STUDIO", Alex Siniavski, owner). Album contains favorite Russian
melodies and songs "The Moon is shining brightly", "Two Guitars",
"Katyusha", "Moscow nights", "Korobushka", "Kupets", "Stakanchiki" and
others performed on Russian garmoshka, balalaika, Gypsy and classic
guitars and contrabass. Total time 45:46. Balalaika, Gypsy guitar Alex
Siniavski, garmoshka, classic guitar and vocal Mikhail Smirnov, singer
Alexander Menshikov and Ruslan Khain (contrabass).
http://www.barynya.com/mp3/ethnic_russian_music.htm
3. Russian garmoshka traditional music album
recorded by Mikhail Smirnov, performer, musician, folk singer, founder
of New York based Russian dance and music ensemble Barynya in February
2007. Recording was made possible by singers-songwriters, Russian bard
musicians Yuriy and Viktor Tenman from New York at their recording
studio in Staten Island (Villa Nova Studio). If you ever attend a
Russian party where people are singing, you will be able to recognize
all the tunes from this album. The very first song that people will do
together after a few drinks at the Russian wedding or Birthday party
most likely will be "Moroz-Moroz" or "Gorochka". There is no singing
on this album. Well, almost no singing... Album contains traditional
Russian tunes: "Kalinka", "Moscow nights", "Korobushka" and other
Russian favorite songs performed on Russian garmoshka.
http://www.barynya.com/mp3/garmoshka.htm
ENSEMBLE BARYNYA UPCOMING PERFORMANCES:
Saturday, April 14, 2007. Concert & Dance Party at 8pm. Beck Center
Armory, The Beck Center for the Arts. 17801 Detroit Avenue in
Lakewood, Ohio. www.beckcenter.org. Folk singer Victoria Pichurova,
dancer/singer Valentina Kvasova, Mikhail Smirnov
(garmoshka,guitar,vocal), Alex Siniavski (balalaika, Gypsy guitar),
Leonid Bruk (balalaika contrabass)
Sunday, April 15, 2007 at 2 p.m. Concert - Main Stage. The Beck Center
for the Arts. 17801 Detroit Avenue in Lakewood, Ohio. www.beckcenter.org.
Folk singer Victoria Pichurova, dancer/singer Valentina Kvasova,
Mikhail Smirnov (garmoshka,guitar,vocal), Alex Siniavski (balalaika,
Gypsy guitar), Leonid Bruk (balalaika contrabass)
Saturday, April 14, 2007 starting around 8pm. Four Barynya Russian
Cossack dancers with 20 min folk dance program at the International
Festival in Monmouth University Rebecca Stafford Student Center,
Anacon Hall on the 2nd floor. Address: 400 Cedar Avenue, West Long
Branch, NJ 07764. Dancers: Vitaliy Verterich, Olga Chpitalnaia, Ganna
Makarova, Mikhail Nesterenko
Thursday, April 19th, 2007. 4pm. Russian balalaika duo A.Siniavski and
M.Smirnov. 1 hour performance for retirement community in Teaneck, New
Jersey
Friday night, April 20, 2007 at New Providence Memorial Library. 377
Elkwood Avenue, New Providence, NJ 07974 phone: 908-665-0311. fax:
908-665-2319. email: lib...@newprov.org. web: www.newprovidencelibrary.org
Sunday, April 22, 2007. 3pm. The First Unitarian Church. 220 South
Winton Road, Rochester, New York (two blocks away from Interstate 490-
exit 20). M.Smirnov, A.Menshikov, A.Siniavski, L.Bruk, V.Kvasova,
G.Makarova, O.Chpitalnaia, N. Ejova, A.Cybyk, M.Nesterenko
Thursday, April 26, 2007. Carriage Club of Jacksonville. 9601
Southbrook Drive, Jacksonville, FLORIDA. V.Kvasova, M.Smirnov,
A.Siniavski, S.Kuziw
Friday, April 27, 2007. 5:30pm. Prime Osborn Convention Center. 1000
Water St Jacksonville, FLORIDA. V.Kvasova, M.Smirnov, A.Siniavski,
S.Kuziw
Saturday, April 28, 2007. 2pm-3:45pm. Celebrate Clayton Rabun County's
Music and Art Festival
Sunday, April 29th, 2007 from 8 p.m. until 11 p.m. "Gorodissky &
Partners", Ltd. reception at Fairmont Chicago Hotel 200 N Columbus Dr,
Chicago, IL 60601
Friday, May 11th, 2007. 2007 Annual Easter Russian Nobility Ball at
the Grand Ball Room of "The Pierre Hotel", Fifth Avenue at 61st
Street, New York City, New York
Saturday, June 9th, 2007. Russian Balalaika Duo Alex Siniavski and
Mikhail Smirnov 1 hour performance at the Annual International Day.
Pearl S. Buck International. 520 Dublin Rd, Perkasie PA 18944
Saturday, June 16, 2007. Time: 10:30 or 11:00 pm. Klezmer dance
presentation at private party (Wedding) at The Grand Prospect Hall.
Address: 263 Prospect Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11215
Sunday, July 1, 2007. Poughkepsee, New York
July 6th, 2007 1:45PM. Barynya Russian Dance - Camp. 2 dancers, one
musicians. 91 S Orange Ave @ Newark Academy. Livingstone, NJ
Wednesday, July 11th - Sunday, July 15th, 2007. Singer Alexander
Menshikov and Mikhail Smirnov (Russian garmoshka) at The Balalaika and
Domra Association of America 29th Annual Convention. Luther College,
Decorah, Iowa
Sunday, July 15th, 2007. One hour free public concert of Barynya
Russian Band at the street fest in New Jersey
Ensemble "Barynya" is touring state of OHIO. July 16-July 30, 2007
Tusday, July 31, 2007. Princeton University in Princeton NJ
Monday, August 6th, 2007 1:30PM-3pm. Musikfest in Bethlehem, PA.
Tuesday, August 7th, 2007. 3pm-4:30pm. Musikfest in Bethlehem, PA.
August 11th-August 20th, 2007. Russian garmoshka player and singer
Mikhail Smirnov at the Slavic Fest in Canada, Quebeck
Saturday, September 1st 2007. Milford, PA
Sunday, September 9th, 2007. Russian Mosaic Festival. Penns Landing,
Philadelphia, PA. One hour music program, brake, two hours full lenght
concert. Full company. 6 dancers, 3 musicians and singer
Saturday, October 13, 2007. The Roswell Cultural Arts Center, Roswell,
Georgia. M.Smirnov, A.Siniavski, V.Kvasova, A.Cybyk
Thursday, November 8th, 2007. Nampa, ID
November 17th, 2007. California Institute of Technology. 1200 East
California Blvd. Pasadena CA 91125
Thank you / Spasibo very much
Mikhail Smirnov
Ensemble Barynya
http://www.barynya.com
It's Barynya Time!