Viktor Skriptchenko

Vita of Viktor Skriptchenko

Viktor Skriptchenko was born on the February 17, 1955 as descent of a family of Doncossack-officers in Taganrog in the district Rostov-on-Don. 7 years old he got his first lessons playing piano and the accordion, when he was about 12 years old he discovered his passion for the Balalaika.

After finishing his studies in teaching string instruments at the Taganrog School of Music, he was appointed to a teacher in Belaya Kalitwa School, where he founded a Youth Balalaika Orchestra at once. One year later in 1977 he created his Balalaika-Ensemble. Apart from his activity as a teacher in Belaya Kalitwa he continued his studies at the L. Sobinow University in Saratov and completed with honors. He then graduated as an orchestra conductor.

The third and last competition organized by the Russian Minister of culture for orchestras and Ensembles of Russian Folk instruments took place in 1990. The Skriptchenko orchestra - meanwhile the main city - orchestra - won the 2nd place in the orchestra competition and the Skriptchenko Balalaika-Ensemble the 1st Place in the Ensemble contest.

1991 began the reorganization of the Cossack - associations in Russia. At this time the Skriptchenko Ensemble appeared at the legendary Folk Music Festival “Slavic Bazaar” as the only Balalaika-Ensemble to perform with the Military, Radio, St. Petersburg, Moscow orchestras on the main stage of Moscow Kremlin.

During the following tours, the Viktor Skriptchenko Doncossacks-Balalaika-Ensemble performed all over Russia, in Bulgaria and in the USA with concerts in New York, Philadelphia and at Yale-University.

Since 1995 we can occasionally hear the Ensemble in Germany and especially since 1997 in the Berlin Philharmonic's chamber Music Hall. Also the ensemble performed in many other European countries, such as Italy, Czech Republic, and Spain.