Sudler fun with Russian folk musicians

COURTESY NATHANIEL BIRDSALL Tamara Volskaya and her husband, Anatoliy Trofimov, will perform Friday in Sudler Hall

Although the Yale Banjo and Mandolin Association (YBMA) has been around since 1885, its mention doesn't incite much recognition from most Yale students—probably because between 1928 and 1998, it was extinct. In spite of this 70-year gap, it is again a campus presence—primarily due to the instigation of Nathaniel Birdsall, DC '00, who has worked for the past two years to create awareness and appreciation of mandolin and banjo. Despite both instruments' critical place in the American folk tradition, as well as the mandolin's immense historical importance as the direct antecedent of the modern guitar, the mandolin and banjo are not taken seriously as solo instruments by most performing musicians. As part of an ongoing attempt to enhance student banjo awareness, the YBMA is sponsoring a Friday night concert featuring two internationally renowned Russian folk instrumentalists, along with the Yale Russian Chorus.

Tamara Volskaya is one of the world's premier domra—a four-stringed version of the mandolin—players. She has toured internationally in a duo with her husband, Anatoliy Trofimov, who accompanies on the bayan, an instrument similar to the accordian. Volskaya is also a mandolinist, and will perform solo mandolin pieces at the concert. Although her repertoire consists mainly of classical music and Russian folk, Volskaya may also play some bluegrass on Friday.

At the turn of the century, mandolins were among the hippest instruments around. During the '10s and '20s, every U.S. city had a mandolin orchestra. According to Birdsall, it was one of the first instruments commonly played by women, and it was the last great amateur instrument—anyone could play it, from the YBMA to local firemen's associations. But after World War I and the advent of jazz, the popularity of mandolins plummeted. When a new director of the Glee Club—which was affiliated with the YBMA—announced that only classical music would be performed by the Glee Club, the fate of mandolins and banjos at Yale was sealed. With the exception of a few alumnae banjo and mandolin associations and some Appalachian hillbilly banjo players, the two instruments became almost eradicated from the musical memories of both Yale and the country.

Soon after buying his first mandolin, though, Birdsall was sucked into the instrument's transnational history and restarted the YBMA, which now boasts 20 members. "We're the complete opposite of hierarchical, elitist, everywhere-you-go-you-trip-over-them singing groups," he said. "We're just bottom-feeders having a good time."

Thanks to an alumni grant from Davenport College, Birdsall was able to spend last summer travelling the country, playing with other mandolinists. The contacts he made on his trip were instrumental in securing Volskaya's services.

The concert is part of the YBMA's attempt to spearhead a new mandolin movement at Yale—Volskaya and her husband Trofimov have been instrumental in the revival of interest in Russian folk music. Their performance promises to be both an education in Eastern European music and an attractive alternative to the usual Friday night entertainment.

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