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US Tour

July and August 2009

Fri-Sat July 17-18	Trumansburg, NY	Concerts Fri. 7:30pm Infield Stage Sat. 3:30pm Grand Stage Workshop Sat. 11:30am Dance Tent Festival tickets required	Finger Lakes Grassroots Festival Trumansburg Fairgrounds 2150 RT-96 Trumansburg, NY 14886	website maps directions tickets
Sunday July 19	Boston, MA	8:00pm $20 Concert	New England Conservatory Brown Hall 30 Gainsborough St. Boston, MA 02115 617-585-1122	website map directions
Sun-Tues July 19-21	Boston, MA	Intensive 3-day workshop Throat Singing of Tuva Sunday 2-5pm Monday 6-10pm Tuesday 6-10pm Tuition information here. Save by registering before 6/19	New England Conservatory Summer Intercultural Institute Boston, MA, 02115 617-585-1126	Summer Intercultural Institute directions
Thursday July 23	Princeton, NJ	6:00pm Advance tickets $Free Concert	Courtyard Concert Series Princeton Shopping Center 301 North Harrison Street Princeton, NJ 08540 609-921-6234 Sponsored by The Arts Council of Princeton	map directions
Sat-Sun July 25-26	Lowell, MA	Throat singing •Sat. 1:15-2:00pm   St. Anne's Churchyard •Sat. 5:00-5:45pm   Lee St. Stage •Sun. 3:15-3:45pm   Boarding House Park •Sun. 4:45-5:30pm   Lee St. Stage Singing and song styles •Sat. 2:15-3:15pm   St. Anne's Churchyard Fiddle traditions •Sun. 12:00-1:00pm   St. Anne's Churchyard $Free Concert	Lowell Folk Festival Downtown Lowell, MA 01852	website map festival map directions
Wednesday July 29	Saratoga Springs, NY	Doors open 6:30pm Show starts 7:00pm Advance tickets $15, $12 members 1/2 price child Add $2 if purchased at door Concert	Caffè Lena 47 Phila Street Saratoga Springs, NY 12866 518-583-0022 Tickets: 800-838-3006	website map directions tickets
Friday July 31	Gettysburg, PA	Doors open 7:00pm Show starts 7:30pm $Free Concert	Music, Gettysburg! Gettysburg Seminary Chapel 61 Seminary Ridge Gettysburg, PA 17325 717-338-3000 x2197	website map directions
Saturday August 1	Thomas, WV	8:30pm $12 adv $15 day of show Concert	The Purple Fiddle 21 East Ave PO Box 87 Thomas, WV 26292 304-463-4141 202-467-4600	website map
Thursday August 6	Washington, DC	6:00pm $Free Concert	Millennium Stage Kennedy Center 2700 F Street, NW Washington, DC 20566 800-444-1324 202-467-4600	website map map of center directions
Friday August 7	Annapolis, MD	7:00pm $Free No tickets required Concert	Maryland Hall Main Stage 801 Chase Street Annapolis, MD 21401 866-438-3808	website map Free parking behind and on the side of Maryland Hall.
Saturday August 8	Lancaster, PA	6:00pm $35 Advance tickets required "A Little Taste of Asia" John Protopapas (sitar) and Alash Ensemble - plus an amazing Asian food buffet. Fundraiser for Manheim Twp Public Library	Legacy Room Lancaster Jewish Community Center 2120 Oregon Pike Lancaster PA 17601 Tickets: 717-569-2269	directions map For tickets, visit the Library or call 717-569-2269
Sunday August 9	Philadelphia, PA	Time TBA $Free Concert	The Rotunda 4014 Walnut Street Philadelphia, PA 19104 215-573-3234	website directions map
Monday August 10	Havre de Grace, MD	7:00pm $10 Includes refreshments, tastings. Beer & wine extra Concert	MD Conservatory of Music 500 A&B Warren St (Corner of Union Ave) Havre de Grace, MD 21078 410-939-5544	website map
Friday August 14	Burlington, VT	7:30pm $15 Concert	FlynnSpace 153 Main Street Burlington, VT 05401 802-849-6968	website map
Saturday August 15	Brooklyn, NY	8:00pm $10 Concert	Barbès 376 9th St. (corner of 6th Ave., Park Slope) Brooklyn, NY 11215 347-422-0248	website map directionsBarbes
* * *   W A T C H   F O R   M O R E   V E N U E S   * * *

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Roomful of Teeth Project

June 7-12 2009

Ayan-ool Sam and Sean Quirk were among the international experts teaching new vocal techniques to Roomful of Teeth, a twelve voice ensemble that seeks to learn a wide a range of vocal techniques from different cultures and incorporate them into new vocal music.

US Tour

March 15 - April 23, 2009

Alash participated in South By Southwest, the popular music festival held annually in Austin, Texas. They performed at several other venues in Texas before heading north to Pennsylvania, New York, Connecticut, and Vermont. In Brooklyn, NY they jammed with the Sub-TURAN-ians, in Ithaca, NY they teamed up with the Evil City String Band, and at the University of Connecticut they were the inspiration for and main attraction at Tuva Day. Next, they traveled west to Wisconsin and Illinois where, in addition to concerts, they conducted workshops in schools and at International House at the University of Chicago. Music professors have been especially enthusiastic about Alash. Several concerts and workshops on this tour came about because a professor who attended a concert at another venue invited the group to his or her own university.

US Tour

November 10 - December 22, 2008

Alash presented concerts and school workshops in Texas, the Midwest, and the Northeast, and they collaborated with their old friends the Extra Special Terrestrial Guests in Philadelphia. As usual, they played to full houses of enthralled fans. But the highlights of this tour were their joint appearances with Béla Fleck & the Flecktones to promote "Jingle All the Way," the new CD by the Flecktones that features Alash as guest artists. The Flecktones' audiences, most of whom were hearing Tuvan throat singing for the first time, went wild for Alash. After the performance at the Blue Note in New York City, three young men hugged Ayan-ool Sam and Nachyn Choodu and broke out in song "Shyngyrash, Shyngyrash," imitating Alash's unique rendition of Jingle Bells.

Fifth International Symposium "Xöömei - Cultural Phenomenon of the Peoples of Central Asia"

July 24 - July 28, 2008
Kyzyl, Tuva

This year, the Symposium is part of the "Year of Xöömei" activities. It includes a scientific conference, an international xöömei (khöömei) competition, master classes, and exhibitions and sales of Tuvan national instruments, national dress, and traditional food. Bady-Dorzhu Ondar received grand prize for throat singing and won a car. Ayan-ool Sam and Ayan Shirizhik took first and second prizes for throat singing. Nachyn Choodu and his wife took first prize for a duet performance. Watch videos of the performances. Read about Bady-Dorzhu's prize in Russian or English. See coverage from NTV (Russian). See coverage from Russia Today (shows Bady-Dorzhu winning the car). Read the article (English) "Tuva Preparing to Host Throat Singing Admirers from all over the World" from TuvaOnline.

Üstüü-Xüree Festival
July 15 - July 19, 2008 Chadaan, Tuva

The Tenth Annual Üstüü-Xüree Festival of Live Music to raise funds for the reconstruction of the Üstüü-Khüree temple. Read more in English at TuvaOnline: "Tenth Üstüü-Khüree" and "Üstüü-Khüree to be rebuilt."

Shagaa

February 8, 2008
Tuva

Alash performed at festivities in celebration of Shagaa, Tuvan New Year (based on the Lunar Calendar).

US Tour

January 11 - February 2, 2008

In a whirlwind tour of the northeastern United States, Alash gave a concert or conducted a workshop (sometimes both) every day for 21 days straight. They played to packed houses in New York City, Boston, Philadelphia, New Haven, Ithaca, New York, and Ellsworth, Maine. At the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center, Alash collaborated with a string quartet, playing music arranged by Ayana Samiyaevna Mongush, director of the Tuvan National Orchestra (read more). In Philadelphia, they once again joined forces with their old friends, the Extra Special Terrestrial Guests. At the New England Conservatory, they visited music theory classes and presented a superb lecture/performance. At Yale University, they were overwhelmed by the number of students who wanted to try throat singing. In Vermont, Maine, and New York, they shared their music and culture with elementary, middle and high school students. All in all, it was an extremely busy three weeks for Alash, who delighted an ever growing base of returning fans as well as newcomers to Tuvan music.

Concert for Putin

August 13, 2007
Por-Bazhyn, Tuva

Alash, Chirgilchin, and Oktai were the featured performers at a private concert for Russian President Vladimir Putin and Prince Albert II of Monaco. The two leaders, who were in Por-Bazhyn to see the archaeological excavation of the fortress, were treated to an evening of traditional Tuvan music, and Putin was quite amazed by the throat singing. Sean Quirk performed with Alash and even sang a solo in the kargyraa style! Afterwards, he chatted with the President. [Read more at NewsLab. See the report on www.1TV.ru (in Russian, click top right picture).]

Üstüü-Khüree Festival

July 24 - July 29, 2007
Chadaan, Tuva

The 9th Ustuu-Khuree Festival of Live Music gets ready to receive musicians and public from all over Siberia and abroad. [Read more at TuvaOnline.]

US Tour

April - June, 2007

Enthusiastic American fans were once again mesmorized by Alash's music. See and hear highlights on our media page. Alash traveled extensively, performing on the East Coast, in the Mid-West, South, and Texas. Along the way, Alash conducted workshops for schools and colleges - one principal in Texas reports that the children are trying to throat sing while walking through the halls. Alash also performed at charity events, and participated in music festivals. The image at left was made at the Make Music New York Festival.

The Russian Cultural Attaché, Nataly Batova, attended the performance in Washington, DC, which the Washington Post review describes as "utterly stunning." In DC, and at several other venues, Alash shared the stage with the American jazz band Extra Special Terrestrial Guests. The jam sessions with igil, doshpuluur, byzaanchy, kengirge, saxaphone, flute, trombone, bass, drums, and throat singing were absolutely amazing. During the tour, Alash also released their second CD, which, as Steve Sklar says in his review, "makes for a fine listening experience, indeed!"

Kyzyl-Moscow Festival

November 15, 2006
Eurasian cultural center "Legenda", Moscow, Russia

Mai-ool Sedip performed as a soloist on November 15. The festival took place on November 14 and 15. (Read more at The Moscow Times, Tuva Online (1), Tuva Online (2) and Tuva Online (3)).

All-Russia Competition of National Orchestras and Ensembles

September, 2006
Ulan-Ude, capital of the Republic of Buryatia, Russia

Alash musicians competed as members of the Tuvan National Orchestra. The Orchestra won the overall grand prize, as well as a special prize for the most original program. This year, for the first time, the competition was for "national" instruments, instead of "folk" or Russian instruments. The Orchestra's preformance qualifies them to compete in the finals in Moscow in 2008.

Workshops and Festival

September, 2006
Poland

Alash traveled to Poland for a series of workshops organzied by Polish musician Maria Pomianowska.

Mongolian Festival

July - August, 2006
Taiwan

Alash participated in a Mongolian Festival celebrating the 800th anniversary of the beginning of the reign of Genghis Khan. (Read more at Tuva Online or The China Post)

Üstüü-Hüree Festival

June 28 - July 4, 2006
Chadan, Tuva

Alash joined Huun Hur Tu, Chirgilchin, GenDos, Tyva, the Tuvan National Orchestra and others at this summer's Üstüü-Hüree Festival in Chadan, Tuva.

Xöömei Festival

May 13, 2006
Iyme, Tuva

Kongar-ool Ondar hosted a xöömei festival in his home town of Iyme in the Dzun-Khem district of Tuva. The festival honored the famed singer and composer Maxim Dakpai, on what would have been his 85th birthday. (Read more at Tuva Online)

US Tour

February and March, 2006

Alash played to sell-out crowds of enthusiastic fans when they toured the United States in February and March, 2006. Their visit was sponsored by the Open World Leadership Center (press release) at the Library of Congress with funding from the National Endowment for the Arts, and was initially scheduled for three weeks of performances in New York, Connecticut, and New Hampshire. The group extended their stay and traveled half-way across the country giving concerts and workshops in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Wisconsin, and Illinois in addition to the original venues. CEC ArtsLink (press release) hosted the musicians during their stay in the U.S.

All-Russia Competition of Folk Orchestras and Ensembles

September, 2005

Saratov, Russia

Alash musicians competed as members of the Tuvan National Orchestra. The Orchestra won one of the first prizes. In addition, Bady-Dorzhu Ondar received a special award for his unique vocal performance. (Read more at Tuva Online)