Red Army Russian Balalaika Duo from New York City
NY Balalaika Duo
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Balalaika duo is available for weddings, libraries, colleges, schools, assisted living facilities.
CONTACT INFORMATION: email msmirnov@yahoo.com or call 201-981-2497.
Russian Restaurant "Nasha Rasha", New York, New York
Photos of the New York based Red Army Russian Balalaika Duo in the Red Army costumes from one of the best Russian restaurants in New York City, Nasha Rasha, 4 W 19th street, New York, NY, phone (212) 929-4444. Both musicians are available for hire in NYC (New York City), New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Pennsylvania and other states.
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ELINA KAROKHINA (balalaika, vocals)
Elina Karokhina (Элина Карохина) is Russia’s top balalaika player and a musician of international renown. Few females have achieved such levels of greatness on the balalaika as Ms. Karokhina. Her speed, grace, and fluidity on the instrument must be seen and heard to believe.
A native of St. Petersburg Russia, Ms. Karokhina took up the balalaika as a young teen, and quickly established herself as a rare talent upon the instrument. She began her formal training at the Mussorgsky College of St. Petersburg and continued her training at the Rimskii-Korsakov Conservatory, which included a residency in Germany.
She returned to her native St. Petersburg, where she earned her Doctorate of Music/Balalaika.
Elina Karokhina served in the Russian military in the Military Ensemble in the Northwest Order of Red Stars.
She also was the balalaika player for the Moscow Circus on several international tours.
She has performed across Russia and in many countries including the United States. She also belonged to the Russian folk group “Izba Trio”, whose other members also toured with her with the Moscow Circus under the name “Smirnov’s Folk Orchestra".
Over the years, she has also worked with numerous orchestras and artists and has a number of recording credits to her name.
Ms. Karokhina was a regular on the many tourist ships in St. Petersburg during the summer, performing traditional Russian folk songs for tourists with her fellow musicians and giving them a taste of true Russian culture.
Ms. Karokhina immigrated to the United States in October 2009 and currently resides in Cliffside Park, NJ, just across the Hudson from NYC. She is now the musical director and principal balalaika player for “Barynya”, the biggest professional Russian music and dance company outside of Russia.
EDUCATION
Mussorgsky Music College St Petersburg Russia - degree, balalaika.
Rimsky-Korsakov Conservatory St Petersburg Russia - degree, Soloist/orchestra.
Rimsky-Korsakov Conservatory - Ph.D. Balalaika.
EMPLOYMENT
Barynya Ensemble, Ft Lee, NJ - Balalaika player, musical director. Local/national/international concerts as a member of the premier Russian music/dance ensemble in the US. http://www.barynya.com
Mikhail Smirnov/founder/owner/artistic director.
Freelance music teacher- piano, mandolin, and balalaika 1990-present
Freelance musician- 1990-present
Global Entertainment (Moscow Circus) 145 Noble St Brooklyn NY
Musician- balalaika. Branson MO 2006, Thailand 2007, US/Canada tour 2008
US tour, 2010
Russian Army- rank of Ensign/musician, military orchestra
Northwest Order of the Red Stars (balalaika) 2004-2009
Izba Trio / Изба Трио- Elina is a member of this Russian folk trio that played regularly throughout the greater St Petersburg area. 2006-2009
RECORDINGS
With Anthony Thistlethwaite (formerly of “The Waterboys)- “All The Way” and “Welcome to the White Nights” on the album “Crawfish and Caviar”, recorded 10/95 (Demon Records) in St Petersburg Russia with special guest Mick Taylor, formerly of the Rolling Stones.
Izba Trio- self-titled CD, 2007
Russian Army Order of the Northwest Red Stars- “Songs of Russian Heroic Fame”
Kupola Folk Ensemble- self-titled CD
State Russian Concert Orchestra of St. Petersburg- self-titled CD, 2003
Nadir Mamedoff- “My Russia”, toured/recorded CD as backing trio “Troika”.
PROFESSIONAL REPERTOIRE
Ms. Karokhina repertoire consists of pieces from a wide range of composers in a number of genres, including traditional Russian/Ukrainian folk, Romany, Jewish, and classical. And of course, she can quickly learn pieces not normally in her repertoire. Here are but a few of the pieces:
Astor Piazzolla, Libertango (Пьяццола, Либер танго)
Shostakovich, Waltz-Joke (Шостакович, Вальс-шутка)
Bach, Badinerie Joke (Бах, Шутка)
Bach, Aria Suit Re (Бах, Ария)
Rimsky-Korsakov, The Flight Of The Bumblebee (Римский-Корсаков, Полет шмеля)
Paganini, Caprice No.24 (Паганини, Каприс №24)
Mozart, Rondo Alla Turca (Моцарт, Турецкое рондо)
Oginski, Polonaise (Огинский, Полонез)
Grechaninov, Sonata for Balalaika & Piano (Гречанинов, Соната для балалайки и фортепьяно)
Vasilenko, Concerto for balalaika with symphony orchestra (Василенко, Концерт для балалайки с симфоническим оркестром)
Delibes, Pizzicato from Sylvia (Делиб, Пиццикато из балета Сильвия)
Tchaikovsky, Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy (Чайковский, Танец феи Драже из балета Щелкунчик)
Griboedov, Waltz in E minor (А.Грибоедов, Вальс)
Marcello, Scherzando (Б. Марчелло, Скерцандо)
Tartini, Variations on a Theme of Corelli (Д.Тартини, Вариации на тему А.Корелли)
Khachaturian, The Sabre Dance from ballet Gayane (А.Хачатурян, Танец с саблями из балета Гаянэ)
Boccherini, Minuetto (Л.Боккерини, Менуэт)
MIKHAIL SMIRNOV (garmoshka, guitar, vocals)
Mikhail Victorovich Smirnov was born in Moscow, Russia in 1966. He has been in the business of Russian folk dance and music for many years. Mikhail (Ru: Михаил Смирнов) is an artistic director and founder of New York based ensemble Barynya based in New York City, the biggest professional Russian dance and music company outside of Russia, author of many articles about traditional Russian dance, music and instruments in English and Russian, owner of Barynya Entertainment - the biggest Russian talent booking agency outside of Russia.
Mikhail Smirnov recieved 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 sourse. 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.
Balalaika Duo video promo
watch this video on www.youtube.com
Synodal Cathedral of the Icon of Our Lady of the Sign, New York, New York
NY Balalaika Duo {Elina Karokhina and Mikhail Smirnov} performed during Russian Orthodox Maslenitsa (блины и прощённое воскресенье) Celebration at the Synodal Cathedral of the Icon of Our Lady of the Sign, 75 East 93rd Street, New York, NY 10128-1331 on Sunday, February 22, 2015. On the photo in the middle balalaika virtuoso Elina Karokhina with Prince Vladimir K. Galitzine.
August 2013, Amytville Library, Long Island, New York
The Cabaret show concert took place on Saturday, August 3, 2013 at the Amityville Public Library, corner of Oak and John Streets in Amitvylle, NY 11701-2911. Elina Karokhina (balalaika), and Mikhail Smirnov (guiar) performed world music while show dancers were changing their outfits.
watch this video on www.youtube.com
June 2013, New York City
Photo by www.GoshaArt.com from the event in New York City in June 2013. More photos from the event in NYC by Gosha Shif.
All images from event in Manhattan. Photo by www.GoshaArt.com
Saturday, August 6th, 2016, Adult Day Health Care Center "Zabota", Allston, Massachusetts
click on the images above to see full-size high resolution photos
CONTACT INFORMATION: email msmirnov@yahoo.com or call 201-981-2497.
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Barynya - traditional Russian music and dance ensemble from New York. Artistic director Mikhail Smirnov.
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CONTACT INFORMATION: email msmirnov@yahoo.com or call 201-981-2497.
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