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Are you a musician looking for an orchestra? The Washington Balalaika Society (WBS) is welcoming new members.

We play Eastern European folk instruments including balalaikas and domras in various sizes, and some Western percussion and wind instruments, producing a uniquely beautiful sound. We have an eclectic repertoire including classical music, folk songs, Broadway tunes and popular music from around the world. We perform often around the Washington DC metropolitan area and occasionally beyond, and our audiences are always enthusiastic.

WBS invites strings players at all levels, as well as percussion, woodwind and accordion players ( If you read music, you can learn domra or balalaika. Loaner instruments are available and we provide two lessons with an expert at orchestra expense. We rehearse on Wednesday nights in Arlington, Virginia, with our amazing, conservatory-trained conductor and virtuoso, Svetlana Nikonova. Come and visit us any Wednesday night! Message us on Facebook for details or email us here!

Welcome to the Web home of the Washington Balalaika Society.  Here you will find information about the WBS Orchestra, our Ensembles, our performance schedule and lots more.  If you're a musician yourself and live in the Washington area you may be interested in when and where we rehearse, how to join the Society or instruction on the domra, balalaika or bayan.  If you're  a lover of fine music, you'll want to know where we'll be appearing this season, who will be performing with us and how you can get tickets to our concerts.

Within these pages you'll also find interesting  background on the origins and history of the Russian folk orchestra, descriptions of all of  the instruments we play, how to be a member of our Balalaika Guild, how to buy our CDs and a great deal more.

The WBS is a community-based orchestra of more than 50 musicians with a mixture of amateur and professional training.   We work hard to earn and maintain our reputation as one of the finest of our genre.

We are also a community of  friends. Members thoroughly enjoy the warmth and hospitality of the group and we encourage others of all ages to join in the fun -- after all, as the saying goes, "We don't stop playing because we grow old -- we grow old because we stop playing."

Whatever your reason for visiting, we're glad you did and hope to have the opportunity to meet you in person. We're always happy to hear from you, and we encourage you to stop by often.

Jan Bohm, President
'The Balalaika Guild' is a registered service mark of the Washington Balalaika Society.
The Washington Balalaika Society is a community-based 501.c.3 cultural and educational corporation.
The Washington Balalaika Society does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, gender, age, ethnicity, sexual orientation, or marital/family status, in any of its activities.
All Contents Copyright Washington Balalaika Society 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012,2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019
Copyright © 2019. All Rights Reserved.



SEE AND HEAR THE WASHINGTON BALALAIKA SOCIETY ORCHESTRA!




Click here: The Washington Balalaika Society Orchestra Video Sampler.