Tamburitzans Weekend

Saturday & Sunday, November 19-20, 2011
at HACC and the St. Lawrence Club
Workshops, Dancing, and the
Duquesne University Tamburitzans

Skip funding acknowledgments and go to event details »

Presented in cooperation with the Rose Lehrman Arts Center at Harrisburg Area Community College.

To Learn More...

• Visit Sviraj’s website
• Visit the Duquesne University Tamburitzans’s website
• For more information, call Bart at 717-234-3844
  or email bart.carpenter (at) sfmsfolk.org

About Richard Balazs

Richard Balazs was born in Kisvarda, a small town in Northeastern Hungary. He began dancing at the age of 3, encouraged by his father, Dr. Gustav Balazs, a renowned authority on Hungarian Gypsy dance and folklore. Richard was also lucky enough to grow up in a "dance family"; his aunts, uncles and cousins are among the best Gypsy dancers in the Szatmar region of Hungary and are often the subjects of anthropologists and folk dance researchers. From a young age, Richard frequently accompanied his father on research trips, workshops and rehearsals. By the age of 6, Richard was already being asked to join established folk ensembles as a guest performer.

Richard danced competitively as a child and won many awards. At fourteen, he traveled to Finland to study classical ballet, finishing five years worth of classes in one year. Returning to Hungary, he became a professional dancer and instructor, traveling throughout Europe and gathering laurels. At the age of 18, Richard was accepted at the Kossuth Lajos University in Debrecen to study Anthropology, but decided instead to study in America at Duquesne University in Pittsburgh. He was awarded a scholarship to join the Duquesne University Tamburitzans, a folk group specializing in Eastern European music, song and dance.

During his four years as a Tamburitzan, Richard performed across North America, averaging 100 shows per year, while still maintaining full-time student status. Richard has taught workshops and choreographed dances for folk dance groups across the United States and Canada.

About Srbo Cvetkovic

Srbislav (Srbo) Cvetkovic is a choreographer from Serbia, now based in Pittsburgh, PA.

Born in Belgrade, Serbia, Srbo was involved with folklore from an early age. With strong musical and dance backgrounds, he excelled as a well-rounded performer and became a prominent dancer in the semi-professional dance ensemble "Frula" in Belgrade. Throughout his performing career, Mr. Cvetkovic danced with numerous companies and has had the pleasure to work with world-renowned choreographers throughout Europe and North America.

Srbo continues to teach and choreograph traditional folk dances throughout the United States. In addition, he serves as a subject-matter expert on the topic of Serbian traditions and customs. From 1998 to 2001, he performed as a dancer and soloist with the Duquesne University Tamburitzans. Since graduation, he has created multiple choreographies for the Tamburitzans and has also taught children and youth performing groups in suburban Pittsburgh.

About Sviraj Balkan Jam

Sviraj Balkan Jam is one of the best known Slavic music bands in the U.S. The Steelton-based group includes four extremely experienced musicians:

Lenny Tepsich (celo, dumbek, vocals) first played tambura with the St. Nicholas Junior Tamburitzans in 1970 and has played with a number of other tambura groups including the Balkan Brothers and Jorgovan. He is also nationally recognized as singer/songwriter and children's performer "Mr. Music."

Chris Radanovic (bass, vocals) holds a Master of Arts degree in Performance from the University of Iowa and has been performing for more than 15 years. He also performs with the Central Pennsylvania Symphony Orchestra, the Center Stage Opera Company, and the St. Lawrence Adult Tamburitzans.

Mike "Misko" Furjanic (violin, tamburica, vocals) has been performing for more than 25 years. He is currently music director of Kolo Grupa "Marian" of Steelton and has performed with Croatian folk ensembles throughout the U.S., Canada, and Croatia. Mike has played and recorded with groups that perform styles of music ranging from classical to country and folk to rock.

Danilo Yanich (bugarija, accordion, vocals) has performed for more than 25 years. He is a past president of the East European Folklife Center and has served on the teaching staff of multiple Balkan music camps. He holds a Ph.D. in Urban Affairs and Public Policy and has published articles on Balkan politics; he is director of the Graduate Program at the School of Urban Affairs & Public Policy, University of Delaware.

Fans can also visit them at www.myspace.com/svirajbalkanjam