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Tamburitzans returning to Tarpon arts center

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BY CHERYL BENTLEY

THE SUNCOAST NEWS

Published: December 27, 2008

Updated: 12/29/2008 08:12 pm

An acclaimed folk music troupe is set to kick off Tarpon Springs Performing Arts Center's 2009 performance season with meticulously researched Eastern European folk dances and music.

The Duquesne University Tamburitzans will make a return appearance at the center Saturday, Jan. 3, and Sunday, Jan. 4.

The two-hour program will differ from last year's. It features songs and dances from a range of Eastern European countries, including Croatia, Serbia, Poland and Greece.

Performers are full-time students at Duquesne University, in Pittsburgh, who receive scholarships for their participation in the troupe. According to Assistant Director Karen Prykull, Tamburitzans are chosen through rigorous auditions.

The students evidently are passionate about their extracurricular activity. Prykull speaks of their "motivation and excitement to share their love of Eastern European dance with the audience."

They average about 80 performances a year, mostly on weekends and during class breaks.

With a mission of preserving Eastern European culture, the Tamburitzans introduce obscure aspects of the culture. Their acts feature a variety of little-known instruments, including the tambura, a lute-like instrument from India; the cimbalom, a kind of dulcimer associated with Hungarian music; and the bandura, a Ukrainian instrument similar to both harp and lute.

Costumes are authentic. According to the Tamburitzans' Web site, performers wear over 400 costumes in a single performance.

The Tamburitzans got their name from the tamburitza, a southern Slavic instrument similar to the lute, which was played in 1937 by 12 young men at St. Edward's University in Austin, Texas. Intrigued by the little known culture, Tamburitzans founder Dr. A. Lester Pierce moved the troupe from Austin to Duquesne. Pittsburgh and other parts of western Pennsylvania have a varied ethnic population, including many people of Slavic heritage.

The lowdown

The folk music troupe the Tamburitzans will perform 7:30 p.m., Saturday, Jan. 3, and 3 p.m., Sunday, Jan. 4, at the Tarpon Springs Performing Arts Center, 324 Pine St., Tarpon Springs. The center is inside City Hall. Tickets are $26 general admission and $23 for Tarpon Springs Performing Arts Center members.

For more information or to reserve tickets visit www.tarponarts.org> or call 727-942-5605.

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