Folklore Village
3210 County Road BB - Dodgeville, WI 53533

Information: 608-924-4000

Oleg Timofeyev & the international artists of the Russian 7-string guitar The International Academy of Russian Music, Arts, and Culture is dedicated to the celebration of the Russian seven-string guitar and the performance of Russian and Eastern European music, dance, and poetry. They bring the virtuosos of the Russian guitar from all corners of the globe together to perform as well as to teach their skills to students. The Russian guitar is a unique instrument, first played in the late 1700s, reaching its peak popularity in the mid-19th century. In Russia, it was the Roma (“Gypsies”) who became the virtuosi of this guitar. Appealing both to guitarists and the general public, the instrument explores a spectrum of musical styles including Russian Gypsy, Russian Jewish, and contemporary. Technically similar to Western European examples, this music makes use of both the unique tuning of the Russian guitar (DGBdgbd’) and the heritage of Russian folklore. What makes the repertoire so attractive to the listener is this intermingling of Western European genres, techniques, and textures with Russian melodies and harmonies.