Trio Fadolín introduces audiences to the fadolín—a six-string bowed instrument that extends the range of the violin to cover the viola register, as well as most of the cello. This innovative trio—composed of violinist Sabina Torosjan, cellist Valeriya Sholokhova, and Ljova Zhurbin, performing on the fadolín—blends traditional string textures with the new tonal possibilities offered by the instrument. Their performances feature both original compositions and fresh interpretations of classical works, offering a reimagined soundscape that honors the past while pushing the boundaries of the chamber music form.
ABOUT THE ARTIST
Trio Fadolín is a new ensemble with a unique sonority—featuring Sabina Torosjan on violin, Valeriya Sholokhova on cello, and Ljova, performing on the fadolín–a new instrument that encompasses the range of the violin, viola, and most of the cello, finding its footing in an acoustic chamber music setting for the first time.
In its inaugural season, Trio Fadolín has been presented by Lincoln Center, Carnegie Hall, The Kennedy Center, the brand new Perelman Performing Arts Center (PACNYC), and the Metropolitan Museum of Art. The trio formed during the COVID-19 pandemic — its first performances were in the summer of 2021 on a makeshift stage at the Javits Convention Center mass vaccination site, operated by the US Army and sponsored by Sing for Hope. As its opportunities to play together grew, the trio’s repertoire evolved steadily — it now includes works by Ukrainian composers Vasyl Barvinsky, Mykola Kolessa, and Miroslav Skoryk, Spanish-American composer Andrea Casarrubios, Estonian-American composer Lembit Beecher, folk music from Armenia, Denmark, Romania, Sweden and Uzbekistan, in addition to original works by its fadolínist, Ljova. All three members are graduates of The Juilliard School.
Trio Fadolín is the recipient of the Ensemble Forward grant from Chamber Music America and the New York Community Trust, as part of which it will spend some time this year working on a new project with the Syrian clarinettist and composer Kinan Azmeh. The trio is also a recipient of a grant from the Lower Manhattan Cultural Council (LMCC) to present three concerts in its 2024–2025 season. It was the inaugural ensemble-in-residence at Interlochen Public Radio, where it recorded material for its forthcoming debut album. The trio has also completed its first East Coast tour with stops in Washington, Baltimore, Philadelphia, and New York.
Trio Fadolín’s focus is multifaceted — on the one hand, it is exploring the unique sonority of the acoustic fadolín (six-string violin, with low C and F strings) within a trio context, using it — for the first time in history — as an integral instrument in an acoustic chamber music setting.
On the other hand, the trio shares a deep personal connection — all three members grew up in the former Soviet Union and arrived in New York as teens. Sabina was born in Estonia of Armenian-Jewish heritage; Valeriya was born in Ukraine of Ukrainian, Jewish, and Russian heritage; Ljova was born in Moscow, Russia, of Ukrainian-Jewish, German-Jewish, Polish, and Romanian heritage. The ensemble shares a common bond of immigration, Eastern European literature, humor, animation, and music.
Trio Fadolín exists to tell the complicated story, to tell the stories of immigrant composers, to collaborate with immigrant artists, and to showcase places where cultures intersect.
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