Harmonia

Harmonia presents the traditional folk music of Eastern Europe, ranging from the Danube to the Carpathians. Its repertoire reflects the cultures of this region: Hungarian, Slovak, Ukrainian, Romanian, Croatian and Gypsy. Performing on authentic folk instruments, and styled after turn of the century Eastern European Gypsy bands, their music is drawn from both the urban and rural traditions of Eastern Europe. The ensemble's performances evoke the full range of human emotions; interspersing fiery, passionate virtuosity with soulful melancholy and nostalgic yearning. They have been called "obscenely talented" by the Folklore Society of Washington D.C. and "a musical gem" by National Public Radio. The musicians come from varied Eastern European backgrounds; in Harmonia they have found a common musical language. Harmonia brings to the concert stage the vitality and excitement of ethnic weddings, celebrations, and smoky cafés that inspired composers such as Bartok, Brahms and Lizst. Whether performing in these traditional settings or in concert halls, Harmonia's members stay close to their roots. Members include Walt Mahovlich (accordion), Alexander Fedoriouk (cimbalom), Beata Begeniova (vocals), Steven Greenman (violin), Josef Janis (violin), Andrei Pidkivka (panflute and sopilka) and Brano Brinarski (bass).

See www.harmoniaensemble.com.

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