The Tamburitzans are dedicated to perpetuating international cultural heritages through entertaining performance while awarding scholarships to talented and deserving students attending a Pittsburgh-based university. The Tamburitzans began in 1937 as a small group of young college students who played the tamburica, a stringed instrument predominant in the music of Balkan cultures. The troupe settled in Pittsburgh because the city and its institutions - well-known for cultural diversity - enthusiastically provided needed support. The group secured an attractive work-scholarship arrangement with Duquesne University. Over nearly eight decades, incremental support enabled The Tamburitzans to develop and expand into a world-class musical and dance ensemble representing international cultures. However, on July 1, 2016, Duquesne University separated from the Tamburitzans and helped them to transition into a newly-formed independent 501(c)(3) non-profit corporation.
For 80 years, the Tamburitzans have featured Eastern European cultures and as a result, have been led by people of (mostly) Eastern European descent. But this will change in the days ahead as we add variety to our presentation. Last season, we featured a set from the Rajasthan region of India. We also performed a Latin Tango set the year before. Diversity is making an impact on the Tamburitzans.
The Tamburitzans ensemble is comprised of full-time college students who receive scholarship consideration for their performance capabilities. Over the past eighty years, the Tamburitzans have performed over 7,700 shows in the United States, Canada, Europe and South America, and have been seen live by nearly 6 million people. The Tamburitzans truly are unique and are the longest-running live stage show in the United States.
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