Classes with Tanya! Always wanted to sing Balkan music? Already have but want to know more? This is your opportunity! Award-winning vocalist, composer and director Tatiana Sarbinska, recipient of the Cyril and Methodius Necklace, Bulgaria’s highest cultural honor, is holding on-line classes for singers of all ages and experience — children, too! Tatiana is a skilled and engaging teacher who has been teaching on-line for many years — and it works! Even if you think you can’t sing, you can — Tanya will work her magic. Details are on the flyer to the left, on our Tatiana’s classes and songbook page, and at https://tatianasarbinska.net/. Sign up, have fun, and enjoy this spectacular music!
Честита Баба Марта! Chestita Baba Marta! Welcome to 2021, Grandmother March! Time to wear your martenitsa – Bulgarians everywhere are donning red and white tokens to greet spring. Wear them until you see the first stork — or if there aren’t any storks in your neighborhood, until the first fruit tree blooms. Then take off your martenitsa and drape it on a tree or on your chimney. You’ll have health and happiness! Learn more about martenitsa traditions and hear our song about Baba Marta on our new video.
Orfeia on TV! Watch our New Year’s greetings on Bulgarian National Television – starting at 46:03 but there’s lots of good music before that. Zornitsa, our “sibling group” from Boston, leads off – and then us! And check out our New Year’s welcome and more music on Bulgaria’s Folklor TV: Orfeia in the beginning, Divi Zheni, our other Boston sibling group, at 18:26, and Zornitsa at 52:45. There’s a bonus – Tanya’s greeting and singing at 47:13.
CONGRATULATIONS. TANYA!! In 2020, our incomparable director Tatiana Sarbinska was awarded the Cyril and Methodius Necklace,
Bulgaria’s highest cultural honor, by the President of the Republic of Bulgaria, Rumen Radev, for especially significant contributions to the preservation, development, and popularization of Bulgarian tradition and culture in Bulgaria and around the world. Bravo, Tanya!! Обичаме те — we love you! Check out Tanya on Bulgarian National Television!
ENJOY OUR VIRTUAL MINI-CONCERT ON YOUTUBE! A sample of songs from our upcoming CD! And watch this space — we’re planning to teach songs remotely, too!
REMOTE LESSONS WITH TANYA! Works great – Zoom or Skype. Beginners or experienced singers, all ages (kids, too). If you’ve always wanted to learn some of this wonderful music, now’s your chance! Bonus: your vocal technique will improve dramatically. Even if you think you can’t sing, you can – Tanya will get you there. For more information and to contact Tanya, visit her website. And here’s one of Tanya’s recent videos on Bulgarian Folklore TV.
VIRTUAL FOLK DANCING – IT REALLY WORKS! Glen Echo folk dancing is now on-line on Thursdays. Jamie Platt will be teaching at 7:30 and doing request dancing starting at 9:00 p.m. More information and the Zoom link are on the Dancing Planet Productions website.
TAKOMA PARK ARTS BALKAN JOURNEY We really enjoyed our Balkan journey with a full house of passengers! You sounded great on Gura beli belo platno!
VESELA KOLEDA! We shared Bulgarian holiday music and traditions with a lovely audience in a great setting as part of the 
Holiday Festival at the Smithsonian Museum of American History.
The SECOND ANNUAL BALKAN CHESTNUT FESTIVAL was fantastic. Dancing, music, wine, food, and glorious weather in a beautiful setting. Everyone enjoyed the renowned Zlatne Uste Balkan Brass Band and local Balkan ensembles Orchester Praževica and Szikra — and Orfeia! Dance instruction by Jamie Platt of Dancing Planet Productions meant that everyone could join in the fun. Looking forward to the Third Annual!
HARVEST MOON FESTIVAL. World music and shopping at Silver Spring Town Center on a beautiful day.
KUDOS TO THE RHIZOME CHORUS! The kids – and grown-ups – did a stellar job mastering Bulgarian words, music and choreography after only two
workshops (and a dress rehearsal) and performed to an enthusiastic audience. Bravo! Thanks to Rhizome for hosting and providing such wonderful programs for the community.
THANKS TO THE RALPH J. BUNCHE LIBRARY and the Department of State for hosting our performance of Eastern 
European traditional music. Not surprisingly, the audience did a great job learning a Bulgarian song! We were delighted to be joined by Ambassador Tihomir Stoytchev and Dr. George Lazarov.
ORFEIA IS ON AmazonSmile! You can help Orfeia every time you shop! Go to https://smile.amazon.com/ and choose Orfeia as your non-profit organization of choice — up to 0.5% of your purchase price will be donated to us! Please take a second to do this — we need and appreciate your support.![tatiana_portrait_4[1]](https://orfeia.files.wordpress.com/2013/09/tatiana_portrait_41.jpg)
A NEW BULGARIAN MUSIC FAN! Ansu emailed us, “Your performance at the Embassy of Bulgaria for #EUOpenHouse was entrancing. I especially liked your explanation of dissonance and rhythm in the Bulgarian folk compositions, that helped us appreciate what we were hearing even more. I loved the slightly eastern-tonality of your pieces. I look forward to attending more performances. People literally stopped in their tracks on the street to listen to you…outstanding harmonies and unusual, stimulating sound. Great job you all! I posted about you on Twitter.” Thanks!!
