Russian Duo
Friday, November 06 2009
by Frank Stasio and Lindsay Thomas
photo from russianduo.com
The balalaika is a traditional Russian instrument with three strings and a triangular body. Oleg Kruglyakov, a native of Omsk City, Siberia, has been playing the balalaika since he was seven years old. Now, he's devoted to educating other cultures about Russian folk music and testing the limits of his instrument by teaming up with pianist Terry Boyarsky. Together, they are an international project called Russian Duo with a style that combines classical and chamber music with the folk sounds of old Russia. The pair join host Frank Stasio to talk about their music and to play some tunes live in the studio.
