Tamburitzans add Italian, Nordic numbers for Greensburg show
For the first time, the Tamburitzans are performing songs from Italy and the Nordic countries.
The additions to their staple repertoire of Eastern European folk music and dance are displayed in the troupe’s current tour, “Symbols: The Awakening.”
It’s the perfect time to make the additions, said Marianna Hurrell, a board member and former Tamburitzan.
“It really reflects how we’re living in a global community now,” she said. “It’s an exciting show. It’s entertaining and fast-paced. It honors the past and also speaks to the future.”
The Tamburitzans will perform “Symbols” at 2 p.m. Jan. 23 at The Palace Theatre in Greensburg. The program includes the Croatian tamburitza folk songs from which the group derives its name, in addition to Serbian, Macedonian, Spanish and Greek numbers and the Italian and Nordic suites.
The show includes numerous costume changes, highlighting the featured countries and cultures.
In the past, the group also has performed the music of other Eastern European cultures, along with that of Ireland, Cuba and the Dominican Republic.
“We have songs and dances from many countries, and that changes with each year’s performance,” Hurrell said. “This year, we’ve elevated the show with new sets and lighting, so it has a new look.
“George Kresovich, our artistic director, is a musician who worked with the Disney organization at Epcot, so he’s had a hand in creating that.”
Anniversary year
The group comprises undergraduate and graduate students studying at Pittsburgh-area colleges and universities. Students from across the country can audition annually for openings in the 30-member group, and scholarship assistance is available for them to attend the area schools.
Members participate in a three-week summer camp to prepare for the upcoming season, which includes performances nationwide from September through May. They also maintain full course loads at their respective schools, Hurrell noted.
The group is celebrating its 85th year, which will include a season-ending gala and performance at Point Park University.
“Our history includes 85 years of scholarships and performances,” Hurrell said. “We’ve gone abroad seven times with the U.S. State Department. We have more than 800 alumni. So, we’ll be celebrating all of that.”
The Tamburitzans has become a legacy organization for many members, including Hurrell, whose late father, Stephen Kovacev, was an assistant director of the ensemble.
“We have students whose parents and grandparents were Tamburitzans,” she said. “Our motto is, ‘Tradition meets modernity.’ Our trademarks are performance, education and tradition.”
Home in Pittsburgh
The Tamburitzans evolved from a tamburitza trio that performed at the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul, Minn., beginning in 1932. The group visited Pittsburgh in 1937, where its mentor thought the multilingual, multicultural community would benefit the group’s continuing success.
The group found a permanent home in the city via a work scholarship agreement with Duquesne University, becoming known as the Duquesne University Tamburitzans. In 2015, the Tamburitzans became a nonprofit organization, with the separation from Duquesne driven in part by a decline in applications.
The agreement between the university and the group allowed the Tamburitzans to recruit students from other universities in addition to Duquesne, increasing the pool of applicants and enabling the group to seek broader support from foundations, individuals and government agencies.
The Tamburitzans’ current headquarters in Pittsburgh’s North Side includes research and costume archives and rehearsal space.
The troupe remains the longest-running multicultural song and dance company in the United States, Hurrell noted, with a broader mission of preserving the songs, music, dances and costumes of Eastern Europe and neighboring countries.
Former members have gone on to perform on Broadway and even with the Metropolitan Opera, Hurrell said, while others pursue careers in everything from medicine to finance and other fields.
“My experience as a Tamburitzan was the most phenomenal experience of my life,” Hurrell said. “There’s nothing like it. It teaches you so much about the world and gives you so much experience as a performer.”
Tickets to the show at The Palace are $16-$26. Ticket sales are final, with no refunds or exchanges unless the show is canceled. In the event of a cancellation or postponement, certain service and historic preservation charges are not refundable.
For details, call 724-836-8000 or visit thepalacetheatre.org.
Shirley McMarlin is a Tribune-Review staff writer. You can contact Shirley by email at smcmarlin@triblive.com or via Twitter .
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