The Boston-based Grunya еnsemble performs authentic village music of the Eastern Slavs – Russians, Ukrainians, Belarusians and Lemko-Rusyns. The ensemble was founded in 2020 by ethnomusicologist Ghilyana Dordzhieva (PhD in Ethnomusicology, St Petersburg Conservatory), who serves as its Artistic Director. The group takes its name from a diminutive form of the old-fashioned East Slavic women’s name, Agrippina, which is also the name of the protagonist of the group’s favorite khorovod (round dance) song.

Grunya’s repertoire focuses on vocal music (seasonal ritual songs, round dance songs, lyrical songs, religious songs, comic songs, and chastushki (folk couplets), but some pieces also include accompaniment on authentic folk instruments, including gusli (Pskov/Novgorod folk psaltery), balalaika, hurdy-gurdy (kolesnaya lira/kolavaja lira/kolisna lira), Kirillov button accordion, herdsman’s horns (rozhki), kalyuka (overtone flute), duda (Belarusian bagpipe), and others. 

The members of Grunya, most of them immigrants from various parts of the Russian Federation and with diverse ethnic backgrounds, are not professional singers; among them are people of different occupations and ages. Through singing, Grunya learns about the cultures, traditions and histories of all of the East Slavic peoples, and practices a joyful way of celebrating holidays and important life events. Singing together for Grunya is an indispensable form of communication. 

Sponsored by: Department of World Languages and cultures, College of Arts and Sciences; Denbo center for Humanities and the Arts, Natalie L. Haslam College of music