Style of Five

The Unique Russian Folk Ensemble 

Natalia Shkrebko, domra 
Irina Ershova, gusli zvonchatye
Valentin Zaviryukha, accordion 
Vladimir Karyakin, double-bass balalaika
Evgeny Stetsyuk, synthesizers
“They are so good at what they do that one wants to go to Russia and listen to them again and again…” – USA Today
The members of Style of Five are brilliant, charismatic performers of Russian folk music. They also delight in exploring the classical genre with their own unique instrumentation and arrangements. Each musician is a highly respected expert on these complex Russian traditional instruments, and the group’s performances in Russia, Europe, Japan and the U.S. are cheered for their virtuosity, imagination and the sheer joy and fun of their programs. A unique feature of Style of Five is their imaginative combination of traditional Russian musical instruments (domra, psaltery, accordion, and balalaika) with synthesizer. The musicians’ ability to experiment and improvise, to explore non-traditional musical forms, allows the group to use their unique combination of old and new instruments in fascinating ways. The musicians are equally proficient in performing solo, duo, trio, quartet, and quintet works, demonstrating a rare flexibility in presenting a wide variety of music. Their ability to fully explore the acoustic potential of their instruments, together with their interesting and diverse programs, have won the hearts of audiences all over the world.
Alexander Shalov: Valenki 
Yuri Aleskerov: Fantasy on the Kuban song “Varenichki”
Pyotr (Peter) Tchaikovsky: Dance of the Sugar-Plum Fairy 
Josef Tamarin: Tapestry
Carlo Munier: Capriccio Spagnuolo
Jean-Philippe Rameau: Menuet, Tambourin, Gavotte-Rondeau
Daniel Steibelt: Uno ballo 
Vyatcheslav Semenov: Kalina Krasnaya (The Snowball Tree is Red) 
Johann Baptist Savio: The Clock 
Alexander Tsygankov: Variations on the gypsy song “Mar Dyandya”
Vladimir Zubitsky: The Carpathian Suite – Finale
Veniamin Basner-Alexander Shalov: The white acacia’s fragrant flakes
Igor Stravinsky: Prelude & Tango
Igor Frolov: Blues
Evgeny Stetsyuk: Piece in country style
Viktor Vlasov: Basso ostinato