Folk forward: Award-winning soprano Olga Orlovskaya performs as part of the Washington Balalaika Society Orchestra, with more than 60 musicians playing music from Russia, Ukraine, and Eastern Europe on traditional instruments. The balalaika is a three-stringed instrument of Russian origin with a triangular body that varies in tone depending on its size. Though it’s been played for centuries, it periodically gets rediscovered in Western culture, where it has appeared in the score of Dr. Zhivago, on Jethro Tull and Kate Bush recordings, and most recently as a major part of Wes Anderson’s Oscar-winning score for The Grand Budapest Hotel.
Related stories
Soul of Cville Festival
The fourth annual Soul of Cville Festival is a celebration of Black excellence across disciplines. Dance? You know it. Fashion show? For sure. DJ sets? Yup. Live music? Hell yeah. Beyond the performances, dozens of vendors and community partners will be on site. There’s awesome apparel, creative arts and crafts, meaningful mentorship, and a wide […]
“Pink Floyd—The Wall”
Whether you love it, hate it, or have never heard of it, here’s your chance to see it on the big screen. It’s Pink Floyd—The Wall. Watch a whacked-out superstar musician spiral into an isolated state of paranoia as he relives his childhood traumas. Watch him lapse into episodes of anxious and fantastical thinking as […]
Nathaniel Star
With enough soul-beat samples to make any crate-digger swoon, Nathaniel Star brings heady lyricism with heart to every track he touches. The C’ville local alternates gravel-voiced verses with honey-sweet hooks, moving seamlessly between driving hip-hop and smooth R&B. Writing with verve and witticism, Star celebrates Blackness and sonic expression through rich storytelling and riveting concept […]
