Price Hill Duo wsg Russian Duo - CANCELED

Price Hill Duo, named for a neighborhood on the west side of Cincinnati, is a violin- cello ensemble that plays original arrangements of classical works, as well as their own compositions. Passionate, distinct and authentic, the Price Hill Duo engages audiences in both casual and formal performance settings. Violinist Jordana Greenberg and cellist Laura Jekel memorize their repertoire so they can fully immerse themselves in the music. Laura and Jordana both live and work in Price Hill, where they are dedicated to the vibrant arts scene through performance, education, and community-building.

In addition to performing as a duo, Jordana and Laura are Teaching Artists at MYCincinnati, a free El Sistema-inspired youth orchestra program in Price Hill. They are also concertmaster and principal cellist of Queen City Opera. Laura's other musical activities involve teaching a group of adult beginner musicians called the "Price Hillharmonic, and playing cello at the local grocery store. Jordana is the founder and principal songwriter of Harpeth Rising, an internationally touring chamberfolk trio of banjo, cello, violin and three-part vocal harmony. As longtime friends and former college roommates, Jordana and Laura love bringing their eclectic musical experiences together to create something imaginative and new.

Russian Duo was born out of a love of traditional music and the elegance of classical repertoire. Oleg Kruglyakov is a balalaika virtuoso from Siberia and trained at the prestigious Urals State Conservatory in Yekaterinburg. Terry Boyarsky is an American concert pianist, Dalcroze Eurhythmics teacher and Ethnomusicologist.

Russian Duo celebrates cross-cultural creativity, exploring the range of possibilities for balalaika, voice, and piano. Russian Duo presents a remarkable genre of compositions written for this formerly pagan three-stringed, triangular instrument. The balalaika was modernized at the end of the 19th century for virtuoso performance and ensemble playing. In addition to classical music and folk songs, Russian Duo performs other genres including tango, blue grass, Soviet film music, and their own arrangements of ragtime.