On Sunday, March 24, The Mainstay in Rock Hall welcomes the return of classical guitarist Vladimir Fridman in the company of his Transatlantic Duo, featuring balalaika player Alexander Paperny. The concert is the 2024 season’s first installment of the Hedgelawn Classical Music series at The Mainstay in memory of Judy Kohl.
One might think there is little in common between Bach and traditional Russian music. However, the Transatlantic Duo seamlessly brings together such exciting, diverse music styles in their exploration of the world’s rich musical heritage.
Alexander and Vladimir began working together in Moscow, Russia where they performed together for many years, playing a variety of music, from traditional Russian melodies to the tangos of Astor Piazzolla. Eventually, Vladimir moved to the United State of America and Alexander to Germany. Despite the distance, these two musicians and colleagues did not disband, and since 2005 they have continued to regularly collaborate, record albums, and perform a series of annual concerts in the Washington D.C. area, Massachusetts, California as well as internationally in Germany, France and the Netherlands.
Russian-born, Vladimir has toured Europe, the Middle East and Japan and released four albums. Since his arrival in the United States in 1998, Vladimir has become widely known in the musical community of the Greater Washington area, with noteworthy performances at the Kennedy Center’s Millenium Stage. He is an active member of the Music Pilgrim Trio and runs a very successful guitar studio. He is also a recipient of a Washington Area Music Award (the Wammies).
Alexander Paperny lives in Hamburg, Germany where he performs with the Balalaika Nuevo trio and solo, and teaches at the Johannes Brahms Konservatorium in Hamburg.
Showtime for this Sunday afternoon Mainstay concert event is 4 pm. Tickets are $15 in advance of the show and can be purchased online at mainstayrockhall.org. Phone reservations are accepted by calling (410) 639-9133 (tickets reserved by phone are $20 when paid at the door). The Mainstay is located at 5753 N Main Street in Rock Hall, Maryland. Its regular calendar of local, regional, and nationally touring artists features a live performance every week of the year (February through December) in a variety of music genres.
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