Second Mom First in Trio's Hearts

From left: Valerie, Linda, Sergei, Vladimir

By Paul Omundson
Idea Hall

With a mother's proud smile Linda Ackerman sat unobtrusively in the back of the audience as her "sons" wowed their sold out Oregon Bach Festival audience with a hot, fast-paced eclectic blend of Russian folk tunes and classical music.

I had to smile as I saw all three glance at "mom" and give her that satisfying "you're here so everything will be alright" look.

These graduates of the Academy of Music in Voronezh, near Moscow, where they met as young child prodigies, are now solidly established on the international music scene.

Vladimir waxes poetic on the three-stringed domra (dating from the sixteenth century). Sergei mesmerizes on the bajan (a chromatic-button accordion with a fantastic range of registers). Valerie rounds out the beat on an oversized double-bass balalaika.

The secret to their success?

Linda leaned over to me and whispered: "They LOVE their sausages."

Well, it turns out the three young Russian stars went totally ape over backyard sausage barbecues - rain or shine - during their four years living with Linda and her family in Eugene after they made their U.S. debut at the Oregon Bach Festival in 1996.

Linda, a volunteer for the festival, initially helped them with a change in their return tickets to Russia. Instantly, they bonded with their new friend and the Emerald city.

"They are so much a part of our family," Linda said. "We've loved having them with us. We have a small house in Eugene and they were respectful of giving everyone their space." Laughing, she added: "they never violated our main rule - I was always first in the lineup for the bathroom."

In addition to their addiction to sausage barbecues, Linda revealed that all three, since their first day at the Ackerman household, were fixated on driving the Ackerman's car.

Language was no barrier, Linda recalled. "They made their request known with hand gestures of putting a key in the ignition. And we knew exactly what they wanted."

"We had no fears, they're just great kids," Linda added. "Now, they're independent with families of their own. But we really enjoyed our time with them and it's great to watch them gain such international prominence."

To be sure, Trio Voronezh will never forget their time with Linda and her family, either.

"We try to get to Russia about once a year," (in between tours) Sergei said during a break in the music. "But our home is here (Vladimir and Valerie nodded their heads in agreement). We love Eugene and we love Linda and her family. They have been so supportive of us."

After their jaunt through the music of Bach, Mozart, Strauss, Gershwin, and an array of Russian traditional tunes, the three made sure to get their hugs from "mom, her husband Robert, a state legislator, and various friends and family members. Now, it's on the road to a number of summer music festivals ahead.

But home is Eugene, and mom is Linda Ackerman.

Blogger Paul Omundson is a music fan who writes for Los Angeles-based Idea Hall.