Founded in 1993, Trio Voronezh started their
career playing in small concert halls in Germany, France and the Netherlands. Their repertoire ranges from the classical
works of Bach, Vivaldi, Tchaikovsky and Schubert to Russian folk music and popular tunes.
They made their U.S. debut in 1996 at the
Oregon Bach Festival, where they became an instant hit. Since then their career has continued to rise, with concert
appearances in Europe, a music video filmed in the USA, and a return to the Oregon Bach Festival in 1997 and 1999.
On the eve of their 1998 U.S. tour Trio Voronezh appeared on public radio's "A Prairie Home Companion" with Garrison
Keillor.
In 2003, the Trio made its orchestral debut
with the Phoenix Symphony Orchestra in a highly successful collaboration with Doc Severinsen. During the 2003-2004 season,
Trio Voronezh performed with the Colorado Symphony Orchestra, the Minnesota Symphony Orchestra, and in numerous recitals
across the country.
Its three members are graduates of the Academy of
Music in Voronezh, a Russian city of 1 million south of Moscow along the River Don.
Vladimir Volokhin (b. 1966) plays the domra,
a three-stringed, long-necked mandolin that is a predecessor to the balalaika. Since the sixteenth century
it has been used as a solo instrument in Russia; today, in folk music, it is also played in ensembles.
Vladimir has been playing the domra since the age of six.
He has performed as a soloist in ensembles and with the National Orchestra of Hungary. He is the 1986
Russian National Champion of the "All Russia Domra Competition."
Sergei Teleshev (b. 1971) plays the bajan, a
chromatic-button accordion with various registers, which the musician changes by using the chin.
Sergei has won many regional prizes in Russia
for his talents on the bajan, which he has played since he was six. He also has studied the piano.
Valerie Petrukhin (b. 1974) plays the double-bass
balalaika, the three-stringed Russian national instrument with a triangular body made of fir, known for its resonant
sound.
Valerie began playing the accordion at age six and
the balalaika when he was nineteen. He also has studied the piano and trombone.
