Charley Rappaport
Encyclopedia
Charley Rappaport is an American musician5, co-founder of the Balalaika and Domra Society of America2, which coordinates Russian balalaika
and domra
orchestras across the United States4.
Rappaport is a mandolinist, and performs in several styles, both on recordings and live, with his band The Great American Gypsies. He received his "musical education" playing in Russian balalaika orchestras, Russian nightclubs (The Two Guitars and The Russian Bear) and in the New York Mandolin Orchestra under Sol Goichberg5. He has appeared throughout the U.S. as a soloist and with The Great American Gypsies. He is currently music director of the Pittsburgh-based group 3 Rivers Mandolin Consort, and conducts the Pittsburgh Mandolin Orchestra3.
In 2003 he was the subject of a cover story in Mandolin Magazine, a national publication5.In 2004 Rappaport was named a "master folk musician" by the state of Pennsylvania
and awarded a grant to teach mandolin4 and domra8&7. His recordings include Set 1 (1973), Standing Room Only (1975), Requests (1992), Mandolin X 4 (1995), and Before, I Had A Red Tomato (2004).
Balalaika
The balalaika is a stringed musical instrument popular in Russia, with a characteristic triangular body and three strings.The balalaika family of instruments includes instruments of various sizes, from the highest-pitched to the lowest, the prima balalaika, secunda balalaika, alto balalaika, bass...
and domra
Domra
The domra is a long-necked Russian string instrument of the lute family with a round body and three or four metal strings.-History:In 1896, a student of Vasily Vasilievich Andreyev found a broken instrument in a stable in rural Russia...
orchestras across the United States4.
Rappaport is a mandolinist, and performs in several styles, both on recordings and live, with his band The Great American Gypsies. He received his "musical education" playing in Russian balalaika orchestras, Russian nightclubs (The Two Guitars and The Russian Bear) and in the New York Mandolin Orchestra under Sol Goichberg5. He has appeared throughout the U.S. as a soloist and with The Great American Gypsies. He is currently music director of the Pittsburgh-based group 3 Rivers Mandolin Consort, and conducts the Pittsburgh Mandolin Orchestra3.
In 2003 he was the subject of a cover story in Mandolin Magazine, a national publication5.In 2004 Rappaport was named a "master folk musician" by the state of Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
and awarded a grant to teach mandolin4 and domra8&7. His recordings include Set 1 (1973), Standing Room Only (1975), Requests (1992), Mandolin X 4 (1995), and Before, I Had A Red Tomato (2004).