The Alto Balalaika is available for sale. The instrument was handmade in Russia from between the years
1947 and 1953.
It has 18 frets and can be played either as an alto or a sucunda
depending on how you tune it. The tone of the instrument is of good to excellent quality and it holds it tuning well.
The asking price is 200 Euros for the Balalaika plus shipping and packaging.
Famous Russian balalaika virtuoso Alex Siniavski have released an online version of his best selling The Balalaika Tutorial DVD. You can get it at his website www.iBalalaika.com. Below you can see two samples - short intro into the course, and lesson 6 - tremolo.
1. Introduction 2. Tuning 3. Strumming 4. Thumb Pizzicato 5. Pizzicato Vibrato 6. Double Pizzicato 7. Single Pizzicato 8. Tremolo 9. The Rolls 10. Left Hand Position 11. Learning a Song 12. Scales 13. Basic Chords 14. The Folk Balalaika
Balalaika ("Belly Scratcher") made by craftsmen from Moscow Aleksandr Zhukovski: "I make musical instruments since 1990.
Design and shape of my instruments are based on archeologycal discoveries from Velikiy Novgorod and museum samples.
I started to make instruments for myself at first. After a while I started getting orders for different pieces
from musicians and folk groups in Russia and overboard. I also teach classes on Russian traditional folk
instrumental music. Russian folk ensembles "Kazachiy Krug", "Drevo", "Yakhont Lazorevy",
"Vetka", one of groups of D. Pokrovski (theatre on Taganka) are using guslis, liras and gudoks made by me"... read more
Balalaika cats dressed in Russian folk costumes
Russian folk costume designer Svetlana Gavrilova has made a set of black cats dressed in Russian costumes with balalaikas. To view all photos you may need to join the Balalaika Group on Google Network.
New York Balalaika Orchestra performs at Russian Orthodox weddings, fundraising balls, large scale social events, Doctor Zhivago style corporate parties.
Russian Balalaika Duo Alex Siniavski and Mikhail Smirnov with program of Russian, Ukrainian, Gypsy, Cossack music and songs performed on balalaika, garmoshka and guitars.
Chicago Cossacks - Russian music and song ensemble from Illinois.
Brooklyn Balalaikas - Russian Folk Music Trio from Brooklyn, New York. Artistic Director Leonid Bruk.
New York Russian folk music band specialty is Russian folk music and songs. All RUSSIAN BAND members are top professional musicians. Choice of Gypsy, Ukrainian, Russian (2 different sets) and Cossack costumes. Extended repertoire. Formal concert, background music or music for dancing party. Our main instruments are balalaika, domra, bayan, garmoshka (Russian button accordion), Gypsy guitar, classic guitar, contrabass balalaika, cello and vocals.
Old Red Wine - Klezmer, Yiddish, Russian dixieland band from Brooklyn, New York. Artistic Director Shlomo Leiderman.
Balalaika Stooges: Sasha Ressetar (balalaika), Michael L. Sensor (balalaika), Andy Koslow (balalaika contrabass), Serge Rogozin (balalaika), and Rick Heeld (domra).
Tsyganskiy Tabor - Russian Gypsy Roma dance, music, song ensemble New York City.
video
The Internationals World Music Ensemble from Chicago, Illinois plays Russian, Italian, Jewish, Ukrainian, Cossack, Gypsy, American oldies, and classical music from all around the world.
video
5GRAND.US - Russian American Wedding Music Band and dancers is available in New York, New Jersey, CT, PA, nationwide. video
Tum Balalaika - Russian, Jewish, Ukranian, Gypsy band from Chicago, Illinois. video
New York Russian folk music band. Instruments: balalaika, domra, garmoshka, Gypsy guitars, contrabass balalaika, cello and vocals. video
Piques Dames is a group of talented, classically trained musicians that perform in the New York metropolitan area. Their repertoire includes a variety of Slavic and European Classical and Folk vocal music as well as compositions from operatic and sacred classics.
New York Russian dance and music trio - Russian, Cossacks, Ukrainian and Gypsy dances, music and songs. Authentic instruments: garmoshka, balalaika, gusli. Different set of costumes for each dance. video
Cossack Spirit - Cossack song, music and dance trio from New York founded by dancer and singer Valentina Kvasova, singer Victoria Pichurova and Russian button accordion virtuoso Victor Danilochkin in 2007. Ensemble performs Cossack folk music, songs and dances. All members of the group are highly trained in former USSR performers. video
Brooklyn Balalaikas -Russian Folk Music Trio from Brooklyn, New York. Artistic Director Leonid Bruk.
DUETS
Chicago Cossacks - Russian music and song ensemble from Chicago, Illinois. video
Russian Balalaika duo from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Alex Siniavski - balalaika, Mikhail Smirnov - guitar, garmoshka, vocals. video
Russian Gypsy Guitar Violin Duo from New York, New York performs Russian, Gypsy, Ukrainian, Moldovian, Hungarian music and songs. Sergei Pobedinski - guitar, vocals, Valeriy Zhmud - violin. video
Russian Dance & Music Duo from New York performs in traditional costumes. Program of Russian Cossack Ukrainian and Tsygansky (Russian Gypsy Roma) folk songs, music and dances. Affordable price. video
Kalinka Duo - Sergey Vashchenko- balalaika, Vladimir Kaliazine- bayan, Austin, TX.
Timofeyev and Kolpakov Russian Gypsy 7-string guitar duo performs traditional music, songs and dances of the Russian Roma (Gypsy) tradition, ancient Gypsy melodies, heartfelt lyrical romansy, accompanied by the Russian Gypsy 7-string guitars. Oleg Timofeyev holds an M.A. in Early Music Performance from the University of Southern California (1993), and a Ph.D. in Performance Practice from Duke University (1999). Lead guitarist and artist of the Moscow Gypsy Theater Romen, Vadim Kolpakov has been steeped in the tradition from childhood, plays the Russian 7- string guitar, sings and dances.
Russian Brides - Cossack song and dance duo from Brooklyn, New York.
New York Balalaika Duo - balalaika player Lev Zabeginsky and Mikhail Smirnov (vocals, garmoshka, guitar).
GROUPS BASED IN RUSSIA
Rostov Don Cossacks State Academic Song and Dance Ensemble, Rostov-Na-Donu, Russia. video
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