Event

Harmonia In Concert

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 East-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 East-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. The six-piece ensemble uses instruments as varied as accordion, upright bass, violin, panflute, and cimbalom (the East-European 125 string hammered dulcimer).

Prior to the Show: A short lecture, workshop and moderated discussion with Harmonia will be presented from 3:00 pm - 5:00 pm. Free and open to the public.
Lecture by Rick March (author of "The Tamburitza Tradition" and "Polka Heartland"). Discussion with Harmonia moderated by Rick March and John C. Van Orman.