Charley Rappaport

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Charley Rappaport is an American musician, co-founder of the Balalaika and Domra Society of America, which coordinates Russian balalaika and domra orchestras across the United States. Rappaport is a mandolinist, and performs in several styles, both on recordings and live, with his band, The Great American Gypsies. He was born in Brooklyn, NY in 1946 and received his "musical education" playing in Russian Balalaika Orchestras, Russian night-clubs (The Two Guitars and The Russian Bear)and in the New York Mandolin Orchestra under Sol Goichberg. He has appeared through out the US as a soloist and with his ensemble The Great American Gypsies. He is currently Music Director of the Pittsburgh based group: 3 Rivers Mandolin Consort and conducts the Pittsburgh Mandolin Orchestra. More information is available on the website www.myspace.com/greatamericangypsies.

[edit] References

• Acoustic Music Works
• Livingston, Tamara E. and Katherine K. Preston, "Snapshot: Two Views of Music and Class", pgs. 55-62, in the Garland Encyclopedia of World Music