The Tuvan National Orchestra reflects the complex history of the

Republic of Tuva Tuva (; russian: Тува́) or Tyva ( tyv, Тыва), officially the Republic of Tuva (russian: Респу́блика Тыва́, r=Respublika Tyva, p=rʲɪˈspublʲɪkə tɨˈva; tyv, Тыва Республика, translit=Tyva Respublika ...

(sometimes spelled Tyva), a

federal subject The federal subjects of Russia, also referred to as the subjects of the Russian Federation (russian: субъекты Российской Федерации, subyekty Rossiyskoy Federatsii) or simply as the subjects of the federation (russian ...

Russia Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a List of transcontinental countries, transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia, Northern Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the ...

which sits at the southern edge of

Siberia Siberia ( ; rus, Сибирь, r=Sibir', p=sʲɪˈbʲirʲ, a=Ru-Сибирь.ogg) is an extensive geographical region, constituting all of North Asia, from the Ural Mountains in the west to the Pacific Ocean in the east. It has been a part of ...

, with

Mongolia Mongolia; Mongolian script: , , ; lit. "Mongol Nation" or "State of Mongolia" () is a landlocked country in East Asia, bordered by Russia to the north and China to the south. It covers an area of , with a population of just 3.3 million, ...

to its south. Over the centuries, Tuva has been part of Chinese and Mongolian empires, and shares many cultural ties with Mongolia. In 1944 it joined the

Soviet Union The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, it was nominally a federal union of fifteen national ...

, and Tuva is now a constituent republic of the

Russian Federation Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a List of transcontinental countries, transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia, Northern Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the ...

. Formed in 2003 as the Tuvan National Orchestra of Traditional Instruments, the orchestra was originally directed by Aldar Tamdyn. It is now led by Conductor and Artistic Director Ayana Samiyaevna Mongush. In this unique orchestra, traditional Tuvan instruments are played alongside classical Western instruments and Soviet-era “hybrid” instruments. In addition, the musicians sing as well as play. The orchestra's repertoire often features the ancient art of Tuvan

throat singing Throat singing refers to several vocal practices found in different cultures around the world. The most distinctive feature of such vocal practices is to be associated to some type of guttural voice, that contrasts with the most common types of voi ...

(xöömei), a remarkable technique for singing multiple pitches at the same time. Ayana Mongush is perhaps the only person in the world who can arrange and score music for such an unusual combination of instruments and voices. The orchestra is extremely versatile, at times sounding more western, at times more Tuvan. Its unique renditions of traditional Tuvan songs are especially popular in Tuva. The Tuvan National Orchestra has earned recognition throughout the Russian Federation. In 2005, just two years after its inception, it won one of the first prizes in the All-Russia Competition of Folk Orchestras and Ensembles, held in

Saratov Saratov (, ; rus, Сара́тов, a=Ru-Saratov.ogg, p=sɐˈratəf) is the largest city and administrative center of Saratov Oblast, Russia, and a major port on the Volga River upstream (north) of Volgograd. Saratov had a population of 901,36 ...

, Russia. The following year it competed in the newly configured All-Russia Competition of National Orchestras and Ensembles, held in

Ulan-Ude Ulan-Ude (; bua, Улаан-Үдэ, , ; russian: Улан-Удэ, p=ʊˈlan ʊˈdɛ; mn, Улаан-Үд, , ) is the capital city of the Republic of Buryatia, Russia, located about southeast of Lake Baikal on the Uda River at its confluence wi ...

(capital of the

Republic of Buryatia Buryatia, officially the Republic of Buryatia (russian: Республика Бурятия, r=Respublika Buryatiya, p=rʲɪsˈpublʲɪkə bʊˈrʲætʲɪjə; bua, Буряад Улас, Buryaad Ulas, , mn, Буриад Улс, Buriad Uls), is ...

, Russia), where it won the overall grand prize as well as a special prize for the most original program. It then performed in a two-day gala held in Moscow in 2008 to honor the regional winners. Orchestra members include musicians known in the West for their throatsinging (members of the groups

Chirgilchin Chirgilchin, meaning "dance of the air in the heat of the day" or "miracle" in Tuvan, is a group of Tuvan musicians performing traditional Tuvan music. It was established in 1996. The group consists of Igor Koshkendey, Mongun-ool Ondar, Aldar ...

Tyva Kyzy Tyva Kyzy (Тыва Кызы, pronounced ) (Daughters of Tuva) is an all-female folk ensemble performing Tuvan throat-singing, under the direction of Choduraa Tumat. It is the first and only women's group in Tuva that performs all styles of Tuvan ...

, and Alash), Andrei Mongush (formerly of

Huun-Huur-Tu Huun-Huur-Tu ( tyv, Хүн Хүртү, Hün Hürtü, ; rus, Хуун-Хуур-Ту, ) are a music group from Tuva, a Russian federative republic situated on the Mongolia–Russia border. Their music includes throat singing, in which the singer ...

), Ai-Xaan Oorzhak, Kang-Xuler Saaya, and Nikolai Damba, among others.

External links

Tuvan National Orchestra
Official Website

* ttp://en.tuvaonline.ru/2005/09/23/tuvan-orchestra-of-traditional-instruments-takes-part-in-all-russian-contest.html Tuvan Orchestra of Traditional Instruments Takes Part in All-Russian Contestbr>Tuvan Orchestra of Traditional Instruments will Take Part in the Final of the All-Russian Musical Contest
Musical groups from Tuva