Elina Karokhina
Elina L'vovna Karokhina (Элина Львовна Карохина) (born April 24, 1973 in Leningrad / now Saint Petersburg Russia) is regarded as one of the top female balalaika players in Russia.
The daughter of the 2003 Pushkin Prize-winning author L'ev Fyodorovich Karokhin and Galina Savich, Ms. Karokhina took up the balalaika as a young teen, and quickly established herself as a rare talent upon the instrument. Encouraged by parents and teachers, she began her formal training at the Mussorgsky Music College of St. Petersburg and continued her training at the prestigious N.A. Rimsky-Korsakov Saint Petersburg State Conservatory, earning a degree as an Orchestra Soloist.
She continued her training at the Conservatory, which included a brief residency in Germany. After, she returned to her native St. Petersburg and completed her education, earning a Doctor of MusicAL Art degree in the Balalaika, one of the few women in the history of the Conservatory to have done so.
Following her graduation, she began working as a musician, both as a teacher and as a performer, teaching balalaika, mandolin, and piano.
Over the years she has performed across Russia and in many countries including Thailand, Crete, Finland, and the United States and has also worked with numerous orchestras and artists. She also has a number of recording credits to her name.
Currently, Karokhina serves in the Russian Army in the Military Ensemble in the Northwest Order of Red Stars. This ensemble has won many awards in competitions across Russia, including in Moscow and Sochi in 2009, and has performed a number of private command concerts for high-ranking generals.
Karokhina also performs regularly during the summer on a tourist ship in St. Petersburg, performing traditional Russian folk songs with her fellow musicians for tourists and giving them a taste of true Russian culture.
She also belongs to the Russian folk group “Izba Trio”(Изба Трио), whose other members (Rudolph Smirnoff/Рудольф Смирнов and Maxim Anukin / Максим Анукин) also tour with her with the Moscow Circus {Flash needed for site} 1 under the name “Rudolph's Folk Trio". 2 Izba Trio performs 100+ concerts a year in Russia. With the Moscow Circus, she toured the US and Canada in 2008, and was in Branson Missouri for an extended engagement in 2007.
Karokhina is in the process of immigrating to the United States and is expected to arrive in October 2009. In late March 2010, Izba Trio will be undertaking its first headlining tour of the US independent of the Moscow Circus. Tour dates and cities have not yet been announced.
Recording Credits
With Anthony Thistlethwaite (formerly of “The Waterboys")- “All The Way” and “Welcome to the White Nights” on the album “Crawfish and Caviar”, recorded 10/95 (Demon Records) in St Petersburg Russia with special guest Mick Taylor, formerly of the Rolling Stones. {Adobe reader needed} 3 {page 19}
Izba Trio- self-titled CD, 2007
Russian Army Order of the Northwest Red Stars- “Songs of Russian Heroic Fame”
Kupola Folk Ensemble- self-titled CD
State Russian Concert Orchestra of St. Petersburg- self-titled CD, 2003
Nadir Mamedoff- “My Russia”, toured/recorded CD as a member of his backing musical trio “Troika”.
:Category:Musicians :Category:Russian musicians :Category:Balalaika players