$25 general admission; $20 students/seniors who need a break; $20 livestream

Get tickets here…

Immerse yourself in sounds, sights, and stories of Caucasus Georgia, interspersed with a lively assortment of tunes from other parts of Eastern Europe (Bulgaria, Macedonia, Poland, Turkey, and Rom traditions). Planina is a Colorado-based group of singers and instrumentalists focusing on Eastern European traditional music. In 2023 we traveled to Geogia to study the country’s vibrant culture and rich polyphonic singing traditions. We are excited to share our music, photos, and stories with you in the beautiful acoustics of the Longmont Museum’s Stewart Auditorium and via livestream.

The back story . . .

In summer 2023, ten members of Planina traveled to the country of Georgia for a two-week study trip. Situated at the crossroads of Eastern Europe and Central Asia, Georgia is a fascinating country and home to rich polyphonic singing traditions that UNESCO has recognized as world cultural treasures.

There we studied with five groups of singers in three different folkloric regions and learned firsthand about the extraordinary hospitality, wine, food, complex history, and natural beauty the country is famous for. Members returned to Colorado with a wealth of new material, recordings, and memories.

After working for months to assimilate what we’d learned, we were honored that Swallow Hill Music in Denver presented us in a March 2024 concert celebrating this trip. The concert was well attended and an extraordinarily heartfelt night of music.

After requests from our fans to perform that program again, preferably in Boulder County, we are delighted to present a slightly revised version of the concert at Longmont Museum's beautiful Stewart Auditorium as well as in livestream format. The music will be enhanced by a slide show of photos taken by group members, some new Georgian costumes, and stories about our trip.

Concert Program…

Tickets for Festo Festo will be on a sliding scale from $5 - $15

Get tickets here…

JCC Festo Festo is a monthly Klezmer and Balkan music concert and community jam session in Denver.  It usually takes place in downtown Denver, but not this time! The August event will be at the Hebrew Educational Alliance, a synagogue near I-25 and Hampden Avenue.

Two brilliant Denver-based ensembles appear at Festo Festo every month and coordinate the festivities: Gora Gora Orkestar, a brass band specializing in Balkan and klezmer music, and  Upsherin, a klezmer band. Each month they present a guest artist, and Planina is honored to be the guest this month! 

You will hear a set of music from each of the three groups, and there will also be a community jam session and singalong. Bring your instruments! Most – but not all – of the music throughout the evening is dance music and most of the dances are easy to follow, no partner needed! Come down and join us! 

Planina is excited to join the Boulder International Folk Dancers an evening of folk dancing to live music.

$5 BIFD members/ $10 non-members

Doors open at 7:30 p.m.

Boulder International Folk Dancers brings recreational folk dances from around the world to Boulder every Friday night, with teaching on a weekly basis and a low admission fee. BIFD members have been supporters of Planina since our group’s inception, but it’s been quite a few years since we’ve actually performed at a BIFD event! Planina will play two sets of mostly Balkan dances, plus a few couple dances. There will also be recorded music from other ethnicities during breaks. For more information click here.

TICKETS

Purchase Prices

• Adults - $30 advance, $35 at the door

• Students over 12 / Seniors Who Need A Break - $25 advance, $30 at the door

• Children 6-12 - $12 advance, $15 at the door

• Children under 6 - Free

  Purchase tickets here…

ABOUT

The Boulder Balkan Bash is an epic, all-evening event at the Avalon Ballroom that combines live folk music from five local bands specializing in Balkan styes, with wonderful dancing, food and a fabulous feeling of community. Dozens of musicians will perform throughout the evening, singing and playing music in genres ranging from village-style Bulgarian folk band to scintillating Serbian and Roma brass music, from Greek taverna-style tunes to belly dance grooves.

Many of the dances are easy enough to learn on the spot. Not a dancer? Not a problem; the Avalon ballroom has plenty of room to sit, watch and listen. Grab a table with friends and enjoy the evening!

FOOD

In Eastern Europe, live music and dancing are always accompanied by food . . . and with five and a half hours of dancing, we will need refueling! So roll up your sleeves, make a great dish to contribute to the heavy hors d’oeuvres and dessert potluck and come celebrate! All guests are kindly asked to bring a dish to share. Don’t know what to bring or don’t like to cook? Contact Mary Ann at maesaussotte@comcast.net for ideas.

PROGRAM

The dance music program will feature tunes from Albania, Bosnia, Bulgaria, Croatia, Georgia, Greece, Hungary, Macedonia, Romania, Serbia, Turkey, and Roma (Gypsy) traditions. While the majority of dances will be danced holding hands in a line or solo-style, a few waltzes and other couple dances are included.

The bands are: The Bitovniks, Barbelfish Balkan Band, Gora Gora Orkestar, Planina - Songs of Eastern Europe and Sherefe. A detailed schedule will be posted here as soon as it is available. 

Live music begins at 5:30 p.m. Around 10:45, following the last band's performance, all the musicians will return to play a few numbers together for final dances, and everyone is welcome to sing along, with lyrics provided.

CALL FOR VOLUNTEERS

If you’d like to exchange a couple of hours of work for free admission, we have a limited number of volunteer work-exchange positions, such as shifts doing setup, tear-down, box office, kitchen (keeping the potluck snack tables orderly), and more. Please contact Mary Ann Saussotte, 720-936-5055 or maesaussotte@comcast.net, to volunteer.

JOIN US!

Join us in celebrating Eastern European traditions of live music, dancing, and food.

Planina and friends have produced eight Boulder Balkan Bashes since the early 1990s – the most recent one being in 2019. After that, as you may recall, there was a big disruption preventing all kinds of parties. Now it’s time to do it again!

This is one of Boulder’s most exciting music and dance events and, for Balkan music and dance aficionados, THE event of the year (or several years). Your buying tickets in advance really helps us plan and there is a discount for advance purchase.

Hope to see you there!

QUICK REFERENCE

Avalon Ballroom (6185 Arapahoe Rd, Boulder, 80303)

More info: maesaussotte@comcast.net or 720-936-5055

Please buy tickets in advance if you possibly can to help us estimate the food/beverage needs.

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ABOUT THE ENSEMBLES

Barbelfish Balkan Band

Barbelfish (named after a freshwater fish likened to a pretty girl in some Macedonian songs) plays soul-stirring music for dancing from Eastern Europe and beyond, especially from Albania, Macedonia, Bulgaria and Greece. Village and urban music from the Balkans offers some of the most exquisite melodies, soaring harmonies and driving rhythms on the planet and Barbelfish expertly delivers them. Jesse Manno (percussion, vocals), Steve Mullins (tambura, guitar, bouzouki, mandolin), Amy Self (clarinet, kaval, vocals), James Hoskins (gudulka, cello, zurna, vocals), Julie Lancaster (accordion, tambura, vocals), Loren Uecker (vocals). https://www.facebook.com/BarbelfishBand/

The Bitōvniks

Although all the members of the Bitōvniks are experienced multi-instrumentalists in a variety of traditions, this band features traditional Bulgarian village instruments only (no modern instruments). The repertoire consists of exciting dance tunes, often in uneven rhythms, such as 5/8, 7/8, 9/8 and others. Brett Bowen (tapan / bass drum), James Hoskins (gudulka / folk fiddle), Steve Mullins (tambura / long-necked lute), Varol Saatcioglu (gajda / bagpipe), and Amy Self (kaval / wooden flute).

Gora Gora Orkestar

This brass band powerhouse Gora Gora Orkestar has been bringing the sounds of the Balkans to the Rockies with high-energy performances, infectious rhythms, and feel-good music since 2009. Think of Dixieland Brass Band with eastern modes, and you have an idea: it's hot and smoky party music for line dancing or your global groove. Tung Pham, Alice Hansen (trumpets); Jon Hegel, Michael Windham (saxes); Jon Kenney, Bryan Powell, Caroline Siegel (trombones); Scott Johnson, Jesse Factor (sousaphones); and Kevin Dykstra, Vic Stauffenberg (percussion). http://goragora.org   

Planina - Songs of Eastern Europe

Planina (the word means “mountain” in several South Slavic languages) is a mixed chorus of 16 members. The group has been performing in Colorado since 1988, presenting a cappella and accompanied music from many parts of Eastern Europe, including the Balkans, the Baltics, the Caucasus, Poland and Russia. Members are: Valerie Brown, Kell Coulter, Laima Haley, Alexis Halkovic, Sharon Kermiet, Dina Kriakva, Julie Lancaster, Laura Osterman, Maitreyi Prajna, Thorn Roby, Leslie Root, Galina Siergiejczyk, Sallie Smith, Olga Spiridonova, and Janelle Treibitz. The group will be joined by guest instrumentalists Paul Brown (bass) and Varol Saatcioglu (gaida/Bulgarian bagpipe). https://www.planina.org/

Sherefe

Sherefe, named after the Turkish drinking toast, "to your honor," is a group of mostly Boulder-based musicians dedicated to performing traditional music from the Balkans and the Middle East. At the Bash they will play dance tunes from Greece, Turkey and elsewhere in the Balkans. Brett Bowen (doumbek, tupan), Paul Brown (bass), James Hoskins (cello, gudulka, bouzouki, guitar, vocals), Jesse Manno (baglama, bouzouki, saz, oud, flutes, vocals), and Julie Lancaster (accordion, vocals). http://sherefe.org

Oneida Street between 16th and Batavia
Park Hill neighborhood, Denver
Please don’t park on the block. Leave cars on side streets.
“Musicians play for tips and Driveway Concerts has a reputation of being generous.” 

Planina is delighted to return to the Driveway Concert series this year! This down-home series is a neighborhood favorite and has brought in lots of interesting groups for a low-key hour of wonderful music on a Thursday night. Planina will present songs from Bulgaria, Georgia, Russia, Ukraine, and probably more traditions.

Bring food if you want, a blanket or chair, and $$$ for the musicians’ tip jar. Bring a cup: water and margaritas are available. Pets are best left home with extra treats. Bring a sense of community!

Questions? Email alice.applebaum@gmail.com.

Fundraiser for Planina's Study Trip to the Country of Georgia

Tickets $25; discounts for students, seniors, children. Get tickets here…

Come join us on this full moon night for a rich selection of music from the Balkans, Ukraine, Russia, and Georgia. This concert is a fundraiser for Planina's summer 2023 group study trip to Georgia, situated at the crossroads of Eastern Europe and Central Asia.

The title for this concert comes from a wedding song from Georgia, Kakhuri maqruli, whose translation is: "As we arrive, we rejoice for the bride, beautiful as the full moon."

We will bring you a feast for the ears that will be likewise beautiful and inspiring. The program will feature a few Georgian songs, giving a taste for why we want to travel there to learn more! In addition to the wedding song, you will also hear a protective and healing invocation, a dance song that may have roots in ancient sun ritual traditions, and a medieval Georgian hymn.

In addition, we will sing Planina's usual mix of tunes from many Eastern European countries, including Albania, Bulgaria, Croatia, Macedonia, Russia, and Ukraine, as well as Ashkenazi, Laz, and Rom traditions. Songs range from quiet ballads to full-bodied, a cappella choral arrangements á Le Mystère des Voix Bulgares, and dance tunes accompanied by traditional and/or modern instruments.

Donations

Planina is a 501(c)(3) organization.Your payment up to $25 pays for your concert attendance. Any amount above $25 may qualify as a tax-deductible donation; check with your accountant. If your total donation is over $75, we will send you a statement declaring that no goods or services were provided in return for the portion over $25.

Planina is celebrating its 35th anniversary this year, so donations that involve the number 35 are particularly welcome.

Questions about the concert or making a donation? Call Valerie at 303-257-5783.

Learn more about Planina’s study trip to Georgia and visit our Go Fund Me page

If you can’t attend the concert but would like to donate to Planina’s study trip, or if you would just like to read about the trip. please visit our GoFundMe site: https://gofund.me/7196a03c. A generous donor has offered to match the first $5,000 in donations.

Planina is honored to be invited to join a lineup of talented performers at the Second Whole AcaLada – an all-day festival of a cappella singing at Arvada United Methodist Church.

We are excited to include a range of styles from village diaphonic harmonies to chorale pieces in the style of Le Mystère des Voix Bulgares.

Planina will kick off the evening session at 6:00 pm, but we encourage you to come for the whole day! This festival will include performances featuring high school and college groups, Barbershop, Celtic music, and community groups like the Arvada Chorale and Take Note, with Denver’s award-winning 5280 A Cappella headlining.

The first session begins at 2 pm, and the second begins at 6:00 pm. Food Trucks will be available between sessions.

Pricing:

• Afternoon session tickets: $10

• Evening session tickets: $25

• Both sessions combined tickets: $30

Please visit the event website for tickets and to take advantage of student and children’s discounts.

The event will be held on the northwest corner of the University of Colorado-Boulder campus, on the lawn between Hale Science Building and Varsity Pond near Broadway and University. Here's a link to an interactive campus map…

Planina is excited to return to CU-Boulder for the Slavic Spring Festival on Friday, April 21!

Celebrate the return of spring by joining us in song and dance. We will sing songs from Ukraine, Georgia, Russia, Bulgaria, and other Eastern European traditions. One medley recollects a tradition in which women and girls would sing to "call the spring and see winter off," and that's what we hope to do today.

Blini with various toppings will be served, along some treats baked by CU students.

The event takes place on the northwest corner of the University of Colorado-Boulder campus, on the lawn between Hale Science Building and Varsity Pond near Broadway and University (an indoor location will be announced in the event of inclement weather).

The festival is produced by CU's Germanic and Slavic Languages and Literatures Department. It is a family event, free and open to the public.

Bulgarian Liberation Day Party
Saturday, March 4
Assumption of the Theotokos Greek Orthodox Cathedral
4610 E Alameda Ave, Denver, CO 80246
Doors open at 6:30 p.m.
Festivities will run from 8:00 p.m. - Midnight

Admission (cash only):

• $50 per person over the age of 18

• $25 for kids ages 12 - 18

• Free for children under 12

Food will be available for purchase (cash only), and space is limited, so be sure to reserve tickets in advance at the European Markets at Denver, Lakewood, and Northglenn, or call
720-323-3779.

NOTE: You can also purchase tickets online via Zelle to 907-687-7745 Stoyan Getsov. When sending the payment, please note the name of the person and email address, so we can send email confirmation.

Festo Festo featuring Planina

Thursday, Jan. 26, 7 - 9:30 p.m.

Jungle Room, Mercury Café

2199 California St, Denver, CO 80205

Admission is free but donations are encouraged so the presenters can keep doing these events!

Three groups--Gora Gora Orkestar, the Denver Klezmer All Stars with director Eitan Kantor, and Planina--will play a set of music, followed by a community jam session and singalong. Bring your instruments! Most--but not all--of the music throughout the evening is dance music and most of the dances are easy to follow, no partner needed! Come early and order dinner, come later and order tea or something stronger, but come down and join us! And bring ear plugs--it’ll be loud in the Jungle Room!

7:00 - 7:30 p.m. Denver Klezmer All Stars
7:40 - 8:10 p.m. Gora Gora Orkestar
8:20 - 9:00 p.m. Planina
9:00 - 9:30 p.m. Community Jam Session

Experience the warmth and charm of an authentic German Holiday Market right in the heart of Denver. Stroll through alleys lined with cozy wooden huts and shop for unique, finely crafted artisan gifts and tasty treats brought to you by local and international small businesses. As cheerful sounds of live holiday music fill the air, savor the season with traditional glühwein, German biers, and traditional holiday fare from across Europe. Read about the vendors and entertainment at their website.

Note that there are two performance areas—the Festival Hall (beer hall tent) at the north end of the festival, near Colfax Avenue, and the Greek Theatre at the south end, close to 14th Avenue. We’ll be at the latter, offering up a combination of holiday songs and our usual varied fare . . . including a Ukrainian Epiphany song, a Hungarian Christmas carol, a Lithuanian polka, a Croatian New Year song, and so much more. There will be limited seating for people to enjoy their drink and a snack. Temperatures are forecast to be a little warmer than they've been the rest of the week! See you there!

GET TICKETS

After successful Boulder event, Planina brings Ukraine relief campaign to Denver

The members of Planina - Songs of Eastern Europe bring our decades-long love for the traditional music of Ukraine, Russia, the Balkans, and other parts of Eastern Europe to this very special fundraiser concert. 

Suggested donation is $25. Sliding scale; pay what you can. All proceeds will benefit World Central Kitchen’s #ChefsForUkraine project. Working with restaurant partners across Ukraine and in seven countries welcoming refugees, WCK is providing more than a million nourishing meals for people in need every single day.

Washington Park United Church of Christ is partnering with us in this endeavor and is graciously donating the space for this concert.

Background

After a heartwarming, sold-out Boulder fundraising concert in August, we decided to extend our fundraising campaign and make a similar program and donation opportunity available in Denver. We are raising funds to help people from Ukraine whose lives have been devastated by the war. We want to offer solidarity to community members here with Ukrainian and/or Russian roots and family still living in those countries. And we want to shine a light on the cultural treasures that these countries offer the world. 

This intimate sanctuary setting allows us to explore more moods of Eastern European music than you will hear at our outside performances. Concert selections range from quiet laments to village-y dance tunes with folk instruments to full-bodied choral arrangements. You will hear music from many Eastern European countries, including, of course, Ukraine and Russia--but also Bosnia, Bulgaria, Czechia, Croatia, Lithuania, Poland, Romania as well as Laz and Ashkenazi traditions.

COVID protocols

The singers will not wear masks so their voices may be heard. Singing increases the transmission of COVID, and we encourage attendees to wear masks during the performance to stay safe, and for the safety and comfort of other audience members.

Can't attend but would like to help?

If you can’t attend the concert but would like to donate through Planina’s effort, please make your donation at this special link:  https://donate.wck.org/fundraiser/4019808

If you have ALREADY donated to Planina's WCK campaign and would like to attend this concert, drop us a note at info@planina.org and we will save you a seat.

Learn about Planina                                             

Learn about World Central Kitchen #ChefsforUkraine project

8/16/22: Update from Ukraine: A Letter From José

“Free” 70x80 cm ©Olesya Hudyma, 2021

Olesya Hudyma is a contemporary Ukrainian painter. Find her on the web at: facebook.com/olesyahudymagallery and olesyahudyma.com. For those so inspired, you can make a donation directly to the artist via her website.

This is the festival with DELICIOUS Eastern European food! Ethnic food and desserts from Greece, Mexico, Italy, Romania, Russia, Serbia, and Ukraine. The festival will also offer tours of the historic landmark cathedral and an iconography exhibit. Performances are scheduled all day, including Balkanika dance ensemble, the Hellenic Dance Society, and Gora Gora Orkestar (brass band). See the full schedule at the Festival's website.

Rescheduled from original June 30 date

Oneida Street between 16th and Batavia
Park Hill neighborhood, Denver
Please don’t park on the block. Leave cars on side streets.
“Musicians play for tips and Driveway Concerts has a reputation of being generous.”
 

Planina is excited to sing at the second of only two public outdoor concerts in Denver since the onset of the Pandemic!  This down-home concert series is a neighborhood favorite and has brought in lots of interesting groups for a low-key hour of wonderful music on a Thursday night. Planina will present songs from  Bulgaria, Bosnia, Georgia, Russia, Poland, Ukraine, and the Ashkenazi Jewish tradition.

Bring with you: Blanket or chairs—the audience will spread out across all available yards. Beverage and cups; there will be margaritas and water. Bring snacks or food if you want. Bring $$ to tip the performers. Also, the presenters will be collecting food for the Greater Park Hill Food Bank. Look for the wagon on Oneida and donate a non-perishable food item if you can. Questions? Email alice.applebaum@gmail.com.

CONCERT HAS BEEN CANCELLED DUE TO PREDICTED RAIN! PLEASE STAY TUNED FOR RESCHEDULE DATE!

Oneida Street between 16th and Batavia
Park Hill neighborhood, Denver
Please don’t park on the block. Leave cars on side streets.
“Musicians play for tips and Driveway Concerts has a reputation of being generous.”
 

Planina is excited to sing at the second of only two public outdoor concerts in Denver since the onset of the Pandemic!  This down-home concert series is a neighborhood favorite and has brought in lots of interesting groups for a low-key hour of wonderful music on a Thursday night. Planina will present songs from  Bulgaria, Bosnia, Georgia, Russia, Poland, Ukraine, and the Ashkenazi Jewish tradition.

Bring with you: Blanket or chairs—the audience will spread out across all available yards. Beverage and cups; there will be margaritas and water. Bring snacks or food if you want. Bring $$ to tip the performers. Also, the presenters will be collecting food for the Greater Park Hill Food Bank. Look for the wagon on Oneida and donate a non-perishable food item if you can. Questions? Email alice.applebaum@gmail.com.

Denver Public Library - Central

10 W 14th Ave. Parkway, Denver, CO 80204  map

Movies & Music Room

Free & open to the public

A springtime Saturday afternoon at the library! We’ll be singing an assortment of songs from the Balkans, Russia, and elsewhere in Eastern Europe, in an informal setting. The photo below shows the room where we’ll be singing: listen from the same level we’re on, or go up to the balcony and let our songs waft up to you there.

See the event description on the library’s website here.

The Longmont Museum presents Planina in its beautiful, state-of-the-art, Stewart Auditorium. Planina will present a bouquet of songs from Eastern Europe, including several that celebrate the coming of spring and the Russian festival of Maslenitsa, dating back to a pagan celebration with songs designed to summon the spring. Other songs will be from Bosnia, Bulgaria, Georgia and Macedonia. Poignant tunes will be interspersed with light-hearted dance tunes.

 $12 general admission

$10 students/seniors, $8 members

Tickets available here, or call 303-651-8374.

Known for its stirring harmonies, rousing rhythms, and concerts that leave audiences feeling energized, the Denver-Boulder-based chorus Planina presents a rare concert of music to soothe the soul and bring rest to the weary.

On the afternoon of Saturday, January 18, treat yourself to quiet time drenched in the lush vocal harmonies of Eastern Europe. Give your body and mind a rest while Planina cradles you in music—no bright costumes, no announcements, no applause, just a smooth flow of the more reflective songs that we normally wouldn’t put together in one concert. The songs range from Bulgarian and Croatian choral arrangements of folk melodies to Russian spiritual songs to Georgian love songs. Sit in traditional seating or bring pillows and mats to relax on the floor and engage in some deep listening and deep relaxing. 

Tickets
Adult - advance                      $15
Adult - door                            $18
Student/senior advance         $12
Student/senior - door             $15

Questions? Call Jim at 303-329-6242 or email venturewestjim@gmail.com