Tuvan Throat Singers Coming to Whitefish Bay

The Alash Ensemble of the Siberian Republic of Tuva will return to its American hometown for a performance at 7 p.m. Friday at .

Alash, based in the Republic of Tuva in the Russian Federation, has won numerous international awards in Tuvan throat singing, a technique which allows vocalists to sing multiple pitches at one time.  Ensemble members also play a variety of Tuvan traditional instruments, contributing to an overall musical experience that a Washington Post review described as “absolutely stunning.” 

The group’s manager, Sean Quirk, grew up in Whitefish Bay so the Tuvan musicians have adopted it as their American hometown, using it as a jumping-off point for many of their U.S tours.  

Alash tours the U.S. several times a year sharing traditional Tuvan music and culture through school and college workshops as well as performances. Alash members were featured guest performers on a 2009 Grammy-winning CD with Bela Fleck and the Flecktones.  This year, Milwaukee is the starting point for a six-week tour in the Western U.S.  While in the area, the group is scheduled to do a series of school workshops on world music sponsored by the Milwaukee’s Arts in Classroom Education (ACE) program.

Alash regularly performs and records with Western musicians, including improvisational jazz ensembles and classical musicians.  Jeff Coffin of the Flecktones and the Dave Matthews Band told JamBands.com: “This is some of the most beautiful and haunting music I have heard. If you have not heard them, you have no idea how incredible they are.” 

The Richards concert gives Quirk the chance to share his adopted Tuvan culture with his American friends in the area. Quirk has lived in Tuva for the last nine years. His family is spending the academic year in America this year so his wife, Sveta, and their three children get a chance to learn English. Their oldest daughter, Shonchalai, attends Richards, and their younger daughter, Chochagai, is at . Two-year-old son, Shomaadyr, is picking up English along with Tuvan as he learns to talk, and Sveta, a native of Tuva, is studying English at MATC.

The show is open to the public and free, though donations to help cover hall rental and the tour expenses are welcome.