Summer Seminar on Cossack folk music

[Laura J. Olson]

Dear Colleagues,
        I helped to plan a similar seminar with the Moscow Conservatory in 1996
and it was a great success; this year, with the same organizers, but moving
further afield to Cossack communities, it looks even more exciting. If you
know of people who are interested in Russian folk music, please pass this
notice on to them.
        My apologies to those of you who may have received duplicate notices.
        --Laura Olson
        U. of Colorado, Boulder

SUMMER SEMINAR IN COSSACK FOLK MUSIC AT MOSCOW STATE CONSERVATORY

The Folk Music Department of the Moscow State Conservatory announces its
second summer seminar, The Singing and Instrumental Traditions of the Don
Cossacks, to take place August 5-19, 1998. The seminar will include 6 days
of workshops and courses at the Moscow Conservatory, and a 7-day field
expedition to Cossack villages in the Volgograd region of Russia.
Participants will live in home-stay situations: in Moscow, they will be
housed with members of the Moscow State Conservatory Folklore Ensemble, and
in the Volgograd area, in Cossack homes. Natalia Giliarova, the chair of
the Folklore Department of the Conservatory and director of the Folklore
Ensemble, will conduct the seminar. The specific hours of study included in
the Moscow portion of the trip are:
        -Basic genres of Russian folklore (4 hours)
        -Singing traditions of the Don Cossacks (4 hours)
        -The Wedding ritual (2 hours)
        -Instrumental traditions of the Don Cossacks (2 hours)
        -Workshops in singing, instruments, and traditional dances and
games, together with the Moscow Conservatory Folklore Ensemble. Includes
group field trips to museums and parks in Moscow area (12 hours)
        Lectures, classes, and all songs taught will be translated into
English for those who do not know Russian. In living situations, every
effort will be made to match non-Russian speakers with English-speaking
hosts and/or roommates.
        In Volgograd, participants will acquaint themselves with the traditions of
the Don Cossacks directly from members of local amateur ensembles, and will
have a chance to observe firsthand how traditions are carried out today.
The Don Cossacks are Russian-speaking people who settled in the borderlands
of Russia during the 16th century. They evolved particular traditions drawn
from their ususual lifestyles and proximity to non-Russian peoples; their
music has been made popular in Russia through the efforts of numerous
revivalist groups, such as the Dmitri Pokrovsky Ensemble, which has
extensively toured the U.S.
        Both in Moscow and in Volgograd, participants will have ample opportunity
to learn and practice songs and dances outside of scheduled classes. The
seminar will be conducted informally with plenty of individual attention,
so that students with particular interests can pursue them within the
context of the seminar. All skill levels are welcome.
        Cost of the entire seminar, including all living expenses, transportation
within Russia, and classes, is $1340 if there is a total of 7-10
participants, and $1200 if there are 10-15 participants. Supplementary
cultural programs such as visits to specific museums or monuments in Moscow
can be organized at the wish of the participants for modest extra cost.
        Those who wish to take part in the seminar should send a letter to
the Conservatory by May 1, 1998, with the following information, which is
necessary for the issuance of the visa: Full name, date of birth, address,
place of work or study, number of passport, its expiration date and date
and place of issuance, and the desired dates for entry and exit of Russia.
The letter should be sent by fax to: (7) (095) 229-9659 (write dlia
Giliarovoi on cover sheet) or by post to: Natalia Giliarova, Kabinet
narodnoi muzyki, Moskovskaia Konservatoria, B. Nikitskaia 13, Moscow,
Russia 103871. You may wish to call to make sure your fax or letter has
been received; the home phone number of the seminar's organizer, Oksana
Levko, is (7) (095) 138-1569.
        For more information about the seminar, contact the co-organizer
of the 1996 seminar, Prof. Laura Olson, Dept. of Germanic and Slavic,
University of Colorado at  Boulder by e-mail at lolson at colorado.edu or
phone (303) 492-7729.




Laura J. Olson
Assistant Professor
Dept. of Germanic and Slavic Languages and Literatures
U. of Colorado
CB 276
Boulder, CO 80309

office phone: (303) 492-7729
dept. fax: (303) 492-5376