.
By Kelli McQueen
Collection Overview
Title: University of Illinois Russian Folk Orchestra Music and Records, 1970-1997
ID: 12/5/82
Primary Creator: University of Illinois Russian Folk Orchestra (1974-1997)
Other Creators: Garvey, John (1921-2006), Grueneberg, Howard C. (1952-)
Extent: 2.25 cubic feet
Arrangement: Organized in two series, Series 1) Administrative Records and Sheet Music, 1970-1996 and Series 2) Audiovisual Recordings, 1980-1995. Both series are arranged by type of materials and then chronologically.
Date Acquired: 02/21/2022
Subjects: Balalaika music, Films, Garvey, John (1921-2006), Illinois Arts Council, Interviews, Music -- Russia, Radio Station - WILL, Russian Folk Orchestra, Russian Folk Songs
Formats/Genres: Audio-Visual Material, Clothing and Textiles, Concert Programs, Meeting Minutes, Newspaper Clippings, Sheet music, Sound Recordings
Languages: Russian, English
Scope and Contents of the Materials
Consists of administrative records, concert programs, calendar of events, and audio-visual recordings documenting the management of the University of Illinois Russian Folk Orchestra between 1970 and 1997. In addition the collection also includes general historical information about Russian orchestras and the instruments and music used by these ensembles.
Biographical Note
The University of Illinois Russian Folk Orchestra (UI RFO) was founded in 1974 by John Garvey, who first came to the U of I in 1948 as an artist-in-residence with the Walden String Quartet. He went on to found the first jazz bands within the School of Music, and became acquainted with Russian folk music after taking the U of I Jazz Band on 6-week tour of the Soviet Union as part of the U.S.-U.S.S.R. Cultural Exchange Program in 1969.
Garvey returned to Russia in 1970 to study Russian folk music and the balalaika with members of Moscow's Osipov State Russian Folk Orchestra. Garvey established the first model for teaching Russian folk music in an American university setting by bringing Russian musicians to lead workshops and perform. This inspired other programs like the Russian Folk Orchestra at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
The UI RFO gave over 108 performances around the United States between 1974 and 1984. In 1984, musician Victor Gorodinsky, a graduate of Moscow's Gnessin Institute, joined the RFO as assistant director while working on a master's degree in library science. He became the full-time conductor in 1991 after the retirement of Professor Garvey. Under Gorodinsky's direction, the RFO increased its repertory to include modern compositions, (including some of Gorodinsky's own works), and transcriptions of Russian classical works. Gorodinsky left the RFO in 1995 to pursue a career in librarianship.
Subject/Index Terms
Administrative Information
Repository:
The Sousa Archives and Center for American Music
Acquisition Source:
Howard Grueneberg
Acquisition Method:
Gift
Box and Folder Listing
Browse by Series:
[
Series 1: Administrative records and sheet music, 1970-1996],
[
Series 2: Audio-visual recordings, 1980-1995],
[All]
- Series 1: Administrative records and sheet music, 1970-1996
- Series constists of two "brown books" of sheet music, newspaper clippings, correspondence and other administrative documents, promotional materials, membership lists, discography information on recordings of Russian music, calendar of events, and concert programs. Arranged by type of materials then chronologically.
- Box 1
- Folder 1: "Brown Book" sheet music for Bayan and Bass Dorma, 1970
- Folder 2: Historical Information, newspaper clippings, audience survey, 1973-1996
- Folder 3: Photographs, 1977-1994
- Folder 4: Promotional materials, 1979-1995
- Folder 5: Balalaika and Dorma Association of America (BDAA) conventions at University of Illinois, 1981-1994
- Folder 6: BDAA correspondance and publicity pack, 1993-1995
- Folder 7: Information about RFO concert recordings, 1983-1995
- Folder 8: Arts Midwest/Applause and Illinois Arts Council Artstour, 1986-1997
- Folder 9: RFO membership lists, 1985-1996
- Folder 10: Correspondence internal and external, 1986-1993
- Folder 11: Board Minutes, February-April, 1992
- Folder 12: Finances, 1994-1995
- Folder 13: RFO stage plots and travle requirements, 1988-1994
- Folder 14: History of Russian Folks Orchestras in the Americas project, 1992
- Folder 15: RFO instruments inventories, informational bibiography-discography, 1992-1995
- Folder 16: Orchestra Events, 1974-1980
- Folder 17: Orchestra Events, 1981-1985
- Folder 18: Orchestra Events, 1985-1988
- Folder 19: Orchestra Events, 1989-1991
- Folder 20: Orchestra Events, 1992-1996
- Folder 21: Small Ensemble Events, 1987-1992
- Folder 22: RFO informational handouts and mailing list, undated
- Folder 23: Lists of orchestral music to check, undated
- Oversize Textile Box 7
- Item 1: University of Illinois Russian Folk Orchestra T-Shirt, undated
- Red t-shirt with black lettering and an image of a balaliaka, large, accession number 2022.120582.001.
- Item 2: University of Illinois Russian Folk Orchestra T-Shirt, undated
- Red t-shirt with black lettering and an image of a balaliaka, medium, accession number 2022.120582.002.
- Series 2: Audio-visual recordings, 1980-1995
- Arranged by type of material and then chronologically.
- Box 1
- Item 1: The University of Illinois Russian Folk Orchestra, "An Evening of Russian Music", December 13, 1991
- Item 2: Raw footage of concert and WCIA newscast, March 20, 1996
- Kinderkonzert, U of I RFO and CU Symphony; WCIA Dave Schaul newscast
- Item 3: University of Illinois Russian Folk Orchestra "Evening Bells", undated
- Item 4: "Evening Bells" UI RFO #4, undated
- Box 2
- Cassette 1: UI RFO at BDAA, June 17, 1980
- Cassette 2: UI RFO, April 24, 1983
- Cassette 3: UI RFO, April 29, 1984
- Cassette 4: BDAA concert excerpts, 1985
- Cassette 5: UI RFO, May 5, 1985
- Cassette 6: Interview with John Garvey and RFO, 1986
- Cassette 7: Untitled, February 23, 1986
- Cassette 8: UI RFO, May 4, 1986
- Cassette 9: Kasura concert, May 3, 1987
- Cassette 10: UI RFO, May 8, 1988
- Cassette 11: Untitled, May 7, 1989
- Cassette 12: Russian Music from PHC, December 1990
- small ensemble at Lincoln Square
- Cassette 13: Untitled, April 29, 1990
- Cassette 14: Recording session, April 30, 1990
- Cassette 15: UI RFO: Garvey retirement concert, April 28, 1991
- Cassette 16: UI RFO, October 13, 1991
- Cassette 17: UI RFO, March 22, 1992
- Cassette 18: UI RFO, May 2, 1992
- Cassette 19: UI RFO Second Sunday Concert, November 1992
- Cassette 20: Untitled, November 22, 1992
- Cassette 21: WILL Broadcast Rodina Convention, September 19, 1993
- Cassette 22: UI RFO, April 16, 1993
- Cassette 23: The Night is Light, 1993
- Cassette 24: Untitled, March 20, 1994
- Cassette 25: Untitled, October 31, 1993; April 9, 1994
- Cassette 26: Untitled, May 1, 1994
- Cassette 27: Recording session, May 2, 1994
- Cassette 28: Untitled, April 30, 1995
- Cassette 29: UI RFO concert at KCPA, November 19, 1995
- Cassette 30: Recording session, November 1995
- Cassette 31: Untitled, November 19, 1995
- Cassette 32: Evening Bells, 1995
- Cassette 33: WILL concert broadcast, undated
- Cassette 34: Rodina Eddy & Orchestra only, undated
- Cassette 35: Snow Storm and other stuff UI RFO, undated
- Cassette 36: Tape 4 Demo master (Compressed), undated
- Cassette 37: Untitled, undated
- Cassette 38: SOR, undated
- Cassette 39: ROWC, undated
Browse by Series:
[
Series 1: Administrative records and sheet music, 1970-1996],
[
Series 2: Audio-visual recordings, 1980-1995],
[All]
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