Romani and Bulgarian Modern Instrument Ensemble
Mark Levy
Mark Levy created the first week-long Balkan Music & Dance Workshop in 1974, and co-founded the East European Folklife Center in the early 1980s. He recently retired from the faculty of the University of Oregon School of Music and Dance, where he taught courses in ethnomusicology, coordinated a world music concert series, and directed the UO East European Folk Music Ensemble.
Mark has made numerous trips to the Balkans (especially Bulgaria and Macedonia), and has performed clarinet; Thracian, Rhodope, Macedonian, and Serbian gajda; and other aerophones with Aman, Pitu Guli, The Balkantones, Slavej, and Kef.
Mark lives in Eugene, Oregon. He is very much looking forward to teaching the Romani and Bulgarian Modern Instrument Ensemble and playing with Kef at Balkanalia 2026!
Download Mark’s teaching materials
Bulgarian Ensemble
Petur “Usmifkata” Aleksiev
Peter “Usmivkata” (The Smile) Aleksiev was born in Varna, Bulgaria. He graduated from “Philip Kutev” Music School in Kotel, then from Plovdiv’s Academy for Music and Dance Arts. He was part of the representative folk orchestra of the Plovdiv Academy. There he received his master’s degree in Music Arts with honors, specializing in bagpipe.
While he was at school Petar accompanied the world-known Grammy-winning women’s choir Le Mystère Des Voix Bulgares. He has participated in many groups in numerous projects, and has played with the most famous musicians and bands in Bulgaria. Petar has made recordings with the Bulgarian National Radio, and Bulgarian National Television. He has participated in many international projects, folklore events, and festivals in Greece, Italy, Malta, Israel, Netherlands, Belgium, Moldova, Ukraine, Serbia, and elsewhere. Petar frequently composes for dance groups and bands, and is a member of the UNESCO International Organization for Folk Art.
Since 2008 Peter has been living in Chicago, where he performs with Kolorit Orchestra, Orpheus Hellenic Folklore Society, and plays Bulgarian, Greek, and Macedonian music at various events and camps. He also joyfully engages in teaching Bulgarian bagpipe to new enthusiasts.
Improvisation patterns & techniques
New class at Balkanalia this year!
Cody Simmons
Cody Simmons, trumpeter and leader of Kef, will teach strategies for creating improvised solos in the context of south Serbian and Macedonian brass traditions, focussing on developing musical structure, pattern building and appropriate ornamentation.
Through more than 25 years of listening, lessons with a variety of generous teachers from the Balkans and the US, and two decades of live performance for dancers, he has had the opportunity to reflect on what makes an effective and stylistically appropriate solo. He has a particular affinity for an earlier era of this music, from perhaps the late ’60s through the ’90s.
As a freelance trumpet player, Cody is involved with a wide variety of music, primarily focussing on chamber music, big band performances, musical theater work and Balkan dance music. He has acted as musical director of Kef since it formed in 2006, performing at a variety of venues and festivals throughout the Pacific Northwest. Other current ensemble associations include Blugene Brass Quintet, The Beat Crunchers, Slavej, The Fighting Instruments of Karma, and Oregon Brass Society. He has been performing Balkan folk music since the year 2000 when, as a student at the University of Oregon, he was introduced to the rich brass tradition of the Balkans and the wonders of Bulgarian wedding music through Mark Levy’s East European Folk Music Ensemble.
Beginner Ensemble
Back by popular demand! An instrumental ensemble for beginners of all ages.
Rian Holmes
Rian has been a long-time attender of camp. He has performed at Balkanalia with Milen Slavov, and will be performing with Taman this year. He is also the director of the Curiophono School of Music in SW Portland.
Rian has more than 20 years of diverse professional experience as a performer, composer, and educator in music. He holds Bachelor’s degrees in Music Composition & performance and a Masters Degree in Education. This background gave him a strong foundation for his professional teaching roles at colleges, K-12 pubic schools and private music academies. These degrees, teaching positions and years of experience has prepare Rian to build a private school where students learn to play very well, & where the outcomes exceed expectations.
His performance experience spans many genres and styles across his 20+ years as a music professional. He has have been a violinist and guitarist with many bands, orchestras, and combos over his career; as a guest musician, substitute, & studio player to this day.