The history of the Bayan and Accordion Orchestra begins in the late 1960s. The ensemble’s creative development is associated with the name of the experienced musician, Associate Professor Eduard Lembovich. It was on his initiative that the Orchestra was organized. With a thoughtful and serious approach to selecting repertoire, Eduard Lembovich laid a solid foundation for the ensemble’s further development. The refinement of bayan performance was continued by Doctor of Art History, Professor Valentin Chaban, who significantly expanded the repertoire’s timbre palette and genre-stylistic range. Over the years, the ensemble was led by Mikhail Kozinets, Robert Nazarenko, Tatyana Chekhovskaya, Sergei Ovodok, Lyudmila Ginko, Vladimir Chernikov, Vitaly Grishchenko, and Irina Kalenchits. The orchestra’s current artistic director and conductor is Alexander Shatov.
At this stage of its development, the Bayan and Accordion Orchestra is a full-fledged concert unit in the artistic life of Belarusian State Academy of Music. It regularly participates in concerts as part of the “Concerts of Creative Groups of Belarusian State Academy of Music” series, and also presents its own programs at various venues in Belarus.
The Orchestra’s creative achievements include:
The Orchestra’s repertoire includes instrumentations of world and Russian classical works by Belarusian composers, as well as a wide range of bayan literature.
The Orchestra is a participant in the creative and educational project “Youth Orchestra of Bayan and Accordion Players” of Belarusian State Academy of Music.
