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The Tamburitzans return to The Palace Theatre in Greensburg

By Mark Hofmann mhofmann@heraldstandard.Com 3 min read
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The Tamburitzans, a world-renowned folk ensemble, will perform at The Palace Theatre in Greensburg on Sunday at 2 p.m.

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The Tamburitzans, shown in this 2019 file photo, will perform at The Palace Theatre in Greensburg this Sunday at 2 p.m.

An 80-year-old folk ensemble will continue a tradition, returning to The Palace Theatre in Greensburg.

The Tamburitzans, a Pittsburgh-based folk ensemble, have performed around the globe in some of the world’s most prestigious theaters and concert halls for more than 80 years.

On Sunday, Jan. 23, they will return to area for a 2 p.m. show.

“We have a long history of bringing in The Tamburitzans that extends back to their prior association as Duquesne University Tamburitzans,” said Teresa Baughman, director of operations and programming with The Palace Theatre and the Westmoreland Cultural Trust. “Our precedent is to return the group to The Palace Theatre every three years, so we haven’t missed a beat with them, even during these recent challenging times for the live events industry.”

Named after the family of instruments found in the Balkans, The Tamburitzans are the only group of its kind in the United States performing folk dancing from Croatia, Ireland, Russia, Romania and Latin America.

For generations, the group has dazzled audiences across the country with elaborate costumes and versatile musicians, singers and dancers.

The performers have since expanded from Duquense University and have reinvented themselves to include full-time students enrolled in Pittsburgh-based universities who continue the Tamburitzans’ legacy by bringing international cultures to the present-day stage.

Baughman, a Duquesne University alumni, had an opportunity to be the first reporter for the student newspaper, Duquesne Duke, to go on the road with The Tamburitzans for a weekend in 1982. They visited two venues, and the trip cemented the performance group as one near and dear to her heart.

“The show embraces the rich cultural music and dance traditions of Eastern European countries,” Baughman said. “I love that whole families can attend their show, from children to senior citizens, to enjoy the dozens of colorful costumes and unique musical instruments represented in the show.”

Baughman added that the senior citizens that attend the shows really enjoy hearing the music from “the old country.” To better create a family atmosphere, The Tamburitzans are always scheduled to perform at the Palace Theatre on a Sunday afternoon.

“The Tamburitzans is a well-organized, disciplined troupe and seeing the students set up and execute all phases of pre- and post-performance tasks is inspiring, and the show itself is an artistically beautiful complement to the other entertainment genres we host at The Palace Theatre,” Baughman said.

The show will begin at 2 p.m. on Jan 23 at the Palace Theatre in Greensburg.

Tickets for the show range from $16 to $26 and can be purchased by contacting The Palace Theatre Box Office at 724-836-8000 or visiting www.thepalacetheatre.org.

The Box Office is open Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. for walk-in and phone service. Phone service is also available on Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

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