Balalaika virtuoso Elina Karokhina is available for hire in Boston, MA, New York City, NY, NJ, CT, and PA. She was born on April 24, 1973 in Leningrad (now Saint Petersburg), Russia.
She is the daughter of the 2003 Pushkin Prize-winning author L'ev Fyodorovich Karokhin and Galina Savich. Lina (Elina L'vovna) began her formal training at the Mussorgsky Music College of St. Petersburg and continued her training at N.A. Rimsky-Korsakov Saint Petersburg State Conservatory, earning a degree as an Orchestra Soloist. She continued her training at the Conservatory, which included a brief residency in Germany. After, she returned to her native St. Petersburg and completed her education, earning a Doctor of Musical Art degree in the Balalaika. Following her graduation, she began working as a musician, both as a teacher and as a performer, teaching balalaika, mandolin, and piano. Lina Karokhina (Russian: Ýëèíà Ëüâîâíà Êàðîõèíà) served in the Russian Army in the Military Ensemble in the Northwest Order of Red Stars. This ensemble has won many awards in competitions across Russia, including in Moscow and Sochi in 2009. Lina has performed a number of private command concerts for high-ranking generals. As a balalaika soloist Lina has toured all over the world. Currently Elina performs with Russian dance and music ensemble Barynya from New York, and the Boston Russian Music Duo.
Elina Karokhina is one of the most notable graduates of the N.A. Rimsky-Korsakov Saint Petersburg State Conservatory
Elina Karokhina is listed between George Balanchine and Sergei Diaghilev on the list of the top most notable graduates of the N.A. Rimsky-Korsakov Saint Petersburg State Conservatory in Saint Petersburg, Russia (link).
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. {Adobe reader needed} [1] {page 19}
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 a member of his backing musical trio “Troika”.
Saturday, August 14th, 2010, Untermyer Park, Yonkers, New York
It has been the first time in 2010 when singers Irina Zagornova (soprano) and Vladimir Loginov (bass) performed with Barynya during the same concert. Elina Karokhina (balalaika) and Leonid Bruk (balalaika-contrabass) have played a new arrangement of the Sailors dance for balalaika and balalaika-contrabass. Video Alisa Yegorova, video editing L.Bruk. Photos by L.Bruk and I. Fridman. See all photos and videos from this concert here.
Elina Karokhina and Russian music ensemble Barynya performance during the Balalaika and Domra Association of America conference-2010. The conference took place at the Sheraton Bloomington Hotel in Minneapolis, Minnesota in July 2010.
Musicians: Elina Karokhina,
Leonid Bruk (balalaika-contrabass),
Mikhail Smirnov (guitar, vocals). Camera - Sergey Rogozin, video editing - Leonid Bruk. All videos and photos from this performance.
April 2010, Scottish Rite Auditorium, Williamsport, Pennsylvania, USA
Concert with ensemble Barynya on Wednesday, April 21, 2010. Dancers: Anna Zinenko, Sophia Panych, Olga Chpitalnaia, Alexey Maltsev, Alexander Rudoy, Danila Sherstobitov, Mikhail Smirnov (garmoshka, guitar, vocals), Elina Karokhina (balalaika), singer Alexander Menshikov, Leonid Bruk (balalaika-contrabass).
Friday, April 9th, 2010, Old Mill Inn, 21 Old Mill Road, Toronto, Ontario, M8X 1G5 CANADA, Winter Palace Ball and the Gala Charity Fundraiser benefitting Ruskoka, a summer camp for underprivileged children.
Musicians: Elina Karokhina
(balalaika),
Leonid Bruk
(contrabass balalaika),
Yan Khmel
(bayan),
Mikhail Smirnov
(garmoshka, guitar, vocals),
Valery Abramov (tenor-saxophone), Oleg Sorin (trumpet).
Russian Balalaika Duo - program of Russian, Ukrainian, Gypsy, Cossack, Klezmer, and international music and songs performed on balalaika, garmoshka and guitars. New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania. video
Lina Karokhina - balalaika virtuoso from Boston, MA. video
Los Angeles Balalaikas - Russian traditional music and song ensemble from Los Angeles, California.
Alex Siniavski - balalaika virtuoso and Gypsy guitar virtuoso from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. video
New York Balalaika Orchestra performs at Russian Orthodox weddings, fundraising balls, large scale social events, Doctor Zhivago's style corporate parties. video
Chicago Cossacks - Russian music and song ensemble from Illinois. video
Brooklyn Balalaikas - Russian Folk Music Trio from Brooklyn, New York. Artistic Director Leonid Bruk. video
RUSSIAN BAND - Gypsy, Ukrainian, Russian music and songs. Instruments: balalaika, domra, drums, garmoshka (Russian button accordion), Gypsy guitar, classic guitar, contrabass balalaika, cello and vocals. video
Barynya Entertainment established in 1991 (on-line since 1998). Musicians, dancers, one-man-bands, singers, cabaret, circus, can-can, masters of ceremonies, folk dancers, wedding bands, disc jockeys, jazz, storytellers, world music, Jewish, Ukrainian, Gypsy, and Russian.
WWW.BARYNYA.COM Barynya is the biggest and the best Russian dance and music ensemble outside of Russia (New York, USA). Russian, Gypsy, Cossack, Ukrainian dances, songs and music with live accompaniment of balalaika,
domra,
garmoshka, Gypsy guitar, bayan, violin and contrabass balalaika
