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Meet Viktoria and Yakov

Ensemble Kandeleh

Viktoria Nizhnik trained classically from childhood onward, becoming a truly masterful artist of the Karelian chromatic kantele, the diatonic folk kantele, and the jouhikko, a bowed lyre type instrument.  She is ethnic Livvi-Karelian, and so her heart beats with the traditional Karelian folk music she plays.  Additionally, highlights of her formal education include graduating from the Petrozavodsk State Conservatory (Karelia, Russia), laureate of the International Adreev Competition, and a former soloist of the State National Ensemble of the republic of Karelia ("Kantele").

Yakov Nizhnik is a graduate of the Petrozavodsk State University (Karelia, Russia), having received his PhD in Organic Chemistry at the St. Petersburg Institute of Technology.  He is a professional chemist and an enthusiastic part time musician, playing such wide ranging instruments as classical guitar, diatonic folk kantele, jew's harp, a wee bit of the theremin, and a chemistry inspired instrumental creation all his own - the dry-ice-metallophone.  Besides chemistry and folk music, he adores the music of Richard Wagner, L. van Beethoven, G. Verdi, J.S. Bach, A Schnittke, and King Crimson.

Together Viktoria and Yakov cover a wide range of repertoire including traditional Karelian, Russian and Ukrainian music, transcriptions of classical music from medieval to modern, and original interpretations of rock compositions.

Yes, Viktoria and Yakov, let me know when your new CD is ready!

Yes, that's right, Ensemble Kandeleh will be releasing our new CD, "Sound of Heaven" just in time for Christmas, and you are invited to join our family and get the scoop on how to pre-order and join us in the excitement when it's here! As a thank you, and a small taste for what's to come, you will receive A FREE SONG DOWNLOAD! Yippee!