Now in their 71st season, the Tamburitzans are a company of full-time Duquesne University students who keep Europe's folk traditions alive and quite literally kicking. Performers sing in a variety of languages and dialects, and their programs pay homage to a wide array of cultures and the countries they encompass, among them Armenia, Bosnia, Bulgaria, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Georgia, Greece, Hungary, Romania, Russia, Serbia and Ukraine. The Tamburitzans are known for their meticulous attention to detail: The company's more than 400 stage costumes are historically accurate reproductions, and their instruments (the lute-like tambura; the gadulka, played with a bow; the cimbalom, a kind of hammered dulcimer) echo centuries-long musical traditions. Wed., March 19, 7:30 p.m., Tarpon Springs Performing Arts Center, 324 Pine St., Tarpon Springs, $25 general admission/$23 students and members, 727-942-5605, tarponarts.org.
This article appears in Mar 12-18, 2008.