239:, was well known in the balalaika community in the United States and abroad for his simple yet deep arrangements of tunes for small balalaika ensembles. In keeping with the cabaret tradition, Wolownik did not limit himself strictly to Russian music, but also arranged
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roots. Popular in the 1910s and 1920s, the cabaret-style ensemble usually had no more than 10 members and played in small, intimate settings, often performing pieces which were not precisely
Russian in appellation, but perhaps more
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The
Balalaika and Domra Association of America now numbers several hundred members. It is actively involved in promoting traditional Russian music in the United States. It holds a yearly
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Despite his commitment to serious musicianship, some have claimed that
Wolownik, who had an irreverent sense of humor, was a living embodiment of the
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tunes, some of which had never been played on anything other than the native instruments for which they were composed.
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under the tutelage of Paul
Kauriga of the Kovriga Balalaika Orchestra. He also played under Anastasia Karnow.
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After returning to
Philadelphia from Los Angeles, Wolownik received a master's degree in library science from
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The
University of Pennsylvania Balalaika Orchestra - Balalaika Sheet Music and Tribute Page
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Wolownik also continued directing the Penn
Balalaika Orchestra until its demise in 1996.
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in which luminaries of
Russian music participate by teaching and performing.
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in origin. The cabaret-style ensemble fell into disfavor with the rise of
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of old Russia, street musicians who actively poked fun at both the
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Wolownik, having established balalaika societies and groups in
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Wolownik is largely credited with reviving interest in the
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music. As a child and young adult, he participated in the
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126:. While there, he founded another balalaika group, the
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27:(July 22, 1946 – May 18, 2000) was a pioneer in the
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58:, Wolownik grew up with Russian and
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348:People from Chester, Pennsylvania
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328:American ethnomusicologists
25:Stephen M. "Steve" Wolownik
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220:with elaborate orchestral
86:University of Pennsylvania
338:Drexel University alumni
169:Mount Laurel, New Jersey
71:Russian Orthodox Church
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173:Linwood, Pennsylvania
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56:Chester, Pennsylvania
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293:The Gypsy Balalaikas
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80:Wolownik received a
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69:at St. Nicholas's
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191:with their
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112:Los Angeles
307:Categories
271:convention
260:skomorokhi
249:Moldavian
245:Hungarian
218:ensembles
210:Communism
206:Ukrainian
179:Influence
151:balalaika
122:from the
84:from the
67:orchestra
64:balalaika
60:Ukrainian
50:Biography
241:Romanian
54:Born in
253:klezmer
229:Atlanta
193:peasant
185:cabaret
136:Atlanta
132:Houston
29:Russian
235:, and
214:Soviet
202:Jewish
128:Odessa
264:Tsars
233:Maine
212:, as
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157:and
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