Blog page for Trio Maxim: news, concert schedule, intetresting facts etc. - Maxim Strings / Wedding quartet wedding Music in Napa, Sonomahttps://triomaxim.com/trio-maxim-blog/Sat, 23 Dec 2017 00:07:17 +0000en-USSite-Server v@build.version@ (http://www.squarespace.com)Maxim Baluyev blogs about Trio Maxim news and events, violins, violin student recitals, photography and anything interesting he finds on the net. Trio maxim Blog. Trio Maxim social.

]]>Another Happy CoupleWeddingsMaxim BaluyevSat, 23 Dec 2017 00:30:55 +0000https://triomaxim.com/trio-maxim-blog/2017/12/22/another-happy-couple57300ac69f72664ead5bb1f5:573a117c2b8dde36e4af9831:5a3d9e3453450ae78e8251a1Recently, Trio Maxim was fortunate to perform for a wedding ceremony of Marcos and Margo. This wonderful couple had their wedding ceremony in the Gardens at Heather Farms in Walnut Creek, California. The setting was spectacular! For the ceremony they have requested their favorite songs including:  Can’t Help Falling In Love - Elvis Presley, When I’m 64 - Beatles, All You Need Is Love - Beatles, Get Lucky - Daft Punk, Wonderful Tonight - Eric Clapton, Por una Cabeza, Four Seasons, Vivaldi, Married Life (from Up). They were very pleased with how Trio Maxim sounded, and were very kind to send us a thank you note. Here is a text:

"Hi Max and the rest of the Trio!

Thank you so much for performing at our wedding!

Your music was beautiful and created a magical day for us!"

                                                                                      Best, Margo & Marcos

Thank you Trio Maxim!

]]>Another Happy CouplePierce Wang - a rising Star!Maxim BaluyevMon, 09 Oct 2017 03:09:40 +0000https://triomaxim.com/trio-maxim-blog/2017/10/8/pierce-wang-a-rising-star57300ac69f72664ead5bb1f5:573a117c2b8dde36e4af9831:59dae2520abd04a436c59613

Pierce Wang and Max Baluyev backstage at Vacaville Performing Arts Theater

Pierce Wang (14 years old) performed a violin concerto by Julie Conus in E minor with Solano Symphony Orchestra this evening. What a fantastic violinist! Being a concertmaster of the orchestra I have observed Pierces playing very closely. His playing exhibits flawless technique, impeccable intonation and uncanny understanding of musical phrasing. At the end of the concerto which went great, the orchestra and the audience were treated to an encore called "Der Erlkonig" by Heinrich Ernst. This composition is considered to be one of the most challenging pieces ever written for the violin! Pierce breezed thru it like it was walk in the park! What an amazing talent! YouTube has a video of Pierce playing this piece when he was 11! Please check it out!

 

 

]]>Pierce Wang - a rising Star!Happy Newlyweds!Maxim BaluyevWed, 04 Oct 2017 17:02:11 +0000https://triomaxim.com/trio-maxim-blog/2017/10/4/happy-newlyweds57300ac69f72664ead5bb1f5:573a117c2b8dde36e4af9831:59d510c4a9db09e37f12e9c8

Kara & Jonathan

We had a great pleasure to perform at Kara's and Jonathan's wedding in Livermore on September 8th, 2017. This wonderful wedding was held at picturesque Garre Winery. We played several custom arranged songs for the bride and groom including "Drops of Jupiter" by Train! I am happy to report they very were pleased with our work and were kind enough to send us a thank you card! Best of luck to the newlyweds!

]]>Happy Newlyweds!Max's solo appearance at St.Marks Lutheran Church!Maxim BaluyevMon, 28 Aug 2017 20:02:47 +0000https://triomaxim.com/trio-maxim-blog/2017/8/28/maxs-solo-appearance-at-stmarks-lutheran-church57300ac69f72664ead5bb1f5:573a117c2b8dde36e4af9831:59a4413be58c62e647c086e6Just performed one of my favorite pieces by G.F.Handel, his famous "Largo" from the Opera "SERSE" ( XERXES ). "Largo" also known as "Ombra mai fu", translated from Italian as "Never was a shade". It is a solemn piece, originally written as an aria for the main character, Xerxes I of Persia. Handel finished composing the opera in 1738, unfortunately it did not became popular until almost hundred years after. There are a number of arrangements of this piece for various instruments. We performed an arrangement by Aug. Reinhard for violin and organ. Enjoy!

]]>Max's solo appearance at St.Marks Lutheran Church! The newlyweds were very excited...WeddingsMaxim BaluyevSun, 14 May 2017 23:56:22 +0000http://triomaxim.com/trio-maxim-blog/57300ac69f72664ead5bb1f5:573a117c2b8dde36e4af9831:5918df71bf629a7618969901The newlyweds were very excited...

On May 13 Trio Maxim has performed at Laura and Nathan's wedding ceremony. The marriage ceremony was held in a scenic redwood grove at the Felton Guild in Felton California, 150 year old town located in Santa Cruz County. It was built on the banks of San Lorenzo River and is surrounded by redwood tree forest. The newlyweds were very excited to hear their favorite song performed for bride's processional at the ceremony. Natasha, our wonderful violinist and arranger has made a custom arrangement of the song "Headlights" by the band The Classic Crime, especially for this occasion. The arrangement turned out great!

There were about hundred guests in attendance, and the wedding ceremony itself was held on a wooden stage built right in the middle of small clearing, surrounded by huge redwood trees. Very romantic setting! I captured the second photo by pointing directly up from where we were playing.

Just a few minutes drive from Felton Guild you will find a Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park.  It is a wonderful place for a walk or a picnic among the redwoods. There is an entrance fee to the park. If you are visiting this area make sure to bring warm clothing, particularly for the early hours as the temperature can get a little chilly.

Max B.

 

 

Trio Maxim at Felton Guild

“My eyes are constantly wide open to the extraordinary fact of existence. Not just human existence, but the existence of life and how this breathtakingly powerful process, which is natural selection, has managed to take the very simple facts of physics and chemistry and build them up to redwood trees and humans. ”
— Richard Dawkins

The Redwood Trees

Permalink

]]>The newlyweds were very excited...Trio Maxim wins Best of Gigmasters 2016!Maxim BaluyevThu, 19 Jan 2017 17:42:34 +0000https://triomaxim.com/trio-maxim-blog/2017/1/19/trio-maxim-wins-best-of-gigmasters-201657300ac69f72664ead5bb1f5:573a117c2b8dde36e4af9831:5880f91ce58c625086eef8d6

Trio Maxim just won Best of Gimasters 2016

We have done it again! Trio Maxim just won Best of Gimasters 2016 award! This is the fifth consecutive "Best of" award for Trio Maxim. We are very proud for this accomplishment and are committed to continue providing an exceptional service to our customers.

]]>New Trio Maxim AdMaxim BaluyevSun, 16 Oct 2016 05:49:06 +0000https://triomaxim.com/trio-maxim-blog/2016/10/15/new-trio-maxim-ad57300ac69f72664ead5bb1f5:573a117c2b8dde36e4af9831:58031474e58c625ab6da1ae2Trio Maxim is now featured in 2016-2017 Solano Symphony Orchestra brochure!

]]>Spectacular Napa Valley WeddingMaxim BaluyevSun, 18 Sep 2016 20:05:42 +0000https://triomaxim.com/trio-maxim-blog/2016/9/18/spectacular-napa-valley-wedding57300ac69f72664ead5bb1f5:573a117c2b8dde36e4af9831:57def0706b8f5bbe95a3b06e

On September 17th Trio Maxim has been fortunate to perform at Nicole and Robert's Wedding Ceremony and cocktail hour. Estate is located in St.Helena on Rutherford Hill directly across from Quintessa Winery. The view, as you can see from the photo, is breathtaking. We extend our congratulations and best wishes to the newlyweds.

]]>Woodside Wedding August 12, 2016Maxim BaluyevSun, 14 Aug 2016 19:55:41 +0000https://triomaxim.com/trio-maxim-blog/2016/8/14/woodside-wedding-august-12-201657300ac69f72664ead5bb1f5:573a117c2b8dde36e4af9831:57b0c830bebafb2459fc435f

Trio Maxim at Woodside CA 2016

On August 12, 2016 Trio Maxim performed at Michael and Kendra's wedding at Mountain Terrace, Woodside. It is a small town in San Mateo County, California, on the San Francisco Peninsula and is among the wealthiest small towns in the United States. It is in the middle of redwood forest, the air is crisp and clear. We were playing in the meadow, surrounded by redwoods and enjoying breathtaking view of the valley bellow. We performed well in to the late hours and had a chance to experience the sunset! Mountain Terrace was among the top of our favorite places we had a pleasure to perform at! Congratulations to the newlyweds Kendra and Michael!

]]>BEAR VALLEY MUSIC FESTIVAL 2016PhotographyMaxim BaluyevSat, 30 Jul 2016 00:11:19 +0000https://triomaxim.com/trio-maxim-blog/2016/7/29/bear-valley-music-festival-201657300ac69f72664ead5bb1f5:573a117c2b8dde36e4af9831:579b7e1ae4fcb54882068143

We are almost at the end of the first week of the Bear Valley Music Festival of 2016! The Festival this year is better then ever with fantastic performances by Festival Orchestra, world renown soloists such as pianist Llewellyn Sanchez-Werner, jazz violinist Mads Tolling, guitarist Mark Aitken and many more. With music by Beethoven, Chopin, Mozart, Haydn, Rossini, Vivaldi, Brahms and others. For tickets please call (209) 813-0554.

 

]]>Performance at St.Marks Lutheran Church July 17, 20016Maxim BaluyevSun, 17 Jul 2016 17:31:57 +0000https://triomaxim.com/trio-maxim-blog/2016/7/17/performance-at-stmarks-lutheran-church-july-17-2001657300ac69f72664ead5bb1f5:573a117c2b8dde36e4af9831:578bbf9ad2b85738b5d57b81We are performing "Come What May" from Moulin Rouge, arranged by Natasha Vinetskaya for Trio Maxim. on Sunday, July 17th, 20116 at St. Marks Lutheran church in Fairfield.

Getting ready to play...

]]>Wedding at Cornerstone Sonoma!WeddingsMaxim BaluyevSun, 17 Jul 2016 02:17:56 +0000https://triomaxim.com/trio-maxim-blog/2016/7/16/wedding-at-cornerstone-sonoma57300ac69f72664ead5bb1f5:573a117c2b8dde36e4af9831:578ae7ab2e69cf573b4c65b9We just played for a wedding at Cornerstone Sonoma located at the gates of the Wine Country. Grape fields, gardens, boutiques, restaurants, live music. Who could ask for anything more? The weather was very comfortable. What a beautiful spot to have a wedding! 

Our best wishes to Desiree and Nick!

Trio Maxim at Cornerstone Sonoma

]]>RED, WHITE & BLUEMaxim BaluyevMon, 06 Jun 2016 03:35:42 +0000https://triomaxim.com/trio-maxim-blog/2016/6/5/red-white-blue57300ac69f72664ead5bb1f5:573a117c2b8dde36e4af9831:5754ed5920c6478394a7186fRecently, I started to experiment with "light painting" photography. I found about this process by watching a tutorial by great photographer Oleg Zotov. It is a very simple process really. In a dark room, the camera is set to a very long exposure from 10 to 30 seconds and then the light source is introduced. It could be done with simple pocket flashlight. It is really fun and easy to do! Experiment with different exposure time to get the best results.

Here are three photos of African mask made by Bakuba Tribe from Zaire. No Photoshop tricks were used to create these photos. The flashlight was fitted with red & blue color filters. Middle photo is plain black and white shot.

ISO 200, F-stop 16, Manual focus.

View fullsize Bomba Mask Bakuba Tribe Zaire Red
 View fullsize Bomba Mask Bakuba Tribe Zaire BW
 View fullsize Bomba Mask Bakuba Tribe Zaire Blue

Please leave your comments!

Subscribe in a reader]]>Lasso & Coins Wedding Ceremony ( Lazo & Arras Ceremony)Maxim BaluyevSun, 05 Jun 2016 16:00:43 +0000https://triomaxim.com/trio-maxim-blog/2016/6/5/lasso-coins-wedding-ceremony-lazo-arras-ceremony57300ac69f72664ead5bb1f5:573a117c2b8dde36e4af9831:57544432f8baf31c273a01e9Lasso & Coins wedding ceremony, also known as Arras & Lazo ceremony is very popular among Filipino, Mexican and Spanish communities. The Lasso, (or Lazo) most commonly made of rosary beads, painted wood or crystal, symbolizes infinite bond of love of the couple. The Lasso is roped around the couple to signify a tight bond they share. Later in the ceremony bride and groom exchange special coins (or Arras) which signify wealth and prosperity and are exchanged as a pledge of dedication to each other.

Trio Maxim has been lucky to take part in this great wedding ritual, and we send our regards to the newlyweds Gabriel & Gabriella!

 

Trio Maxim half an hour before the ceremony...

Natasha is trying Roberts cello...

]]>1930 E.H.Roth violinViolinsMaxim BaluyevFri, 03 Jun 2016 19:35:31 +0000https://triomaxim.com/trio-maxim-blog/2016/6/3/1930-ehroth-violin57300ac69f72664ead5bb1f5:573a117c2b8dde36e4af9831:5751daa21d07c040191b7ebaThis violin was made by famous Ernst Heinrich Roth in the town of Markneukirchen Germany. The manufacturing date is 1930. Enjoy!

Ernst Heinrich Roth violin 1930 Stradivari 1725 copy

Subscribe in a reader]]>Max's Violin Class Recital tonight at 5:00pm at Gordon's Music, Fairfield, CAMaxim BaluyevSun, 29 May 2016 21:19:36 +0000https://triomaxim.com/trio-maxim-blog/2016/5/29/maxs-violin-class-recital-tonight-at-500pm-at-gordons-music-fairfield-ca57300ac69f72664ead5bb1f5:573a117c2b8dde36e4af9831:574b5bdf40261d7597445825

Good job guys! Here is the whole gang!

Pictured from the left: Leon, Katelin, Madison, Jiselle, Kimberly and Rianna.

Maxim Baluyev violin students recital 2016

]]>Mezzo-Forte carbon fiber violin VS classic wooden violin matchup!ViolinsMaxim BaluyevSat, 28 May 2016 22:32:30 +0000https://triomaxim.com/trio-maxim-blog/2016/5/28/mezzo-forte-carbon-fiber-violin-vs-classic-wooden-violin-matchup57300ac69f72664ead5bb1f5:573a117c2b8dde36e4af9831:574a06e3d51cd43e7b796a56As promised, I am posting two videos for you to compare. A classic 120 year old wooden violin vs brand new carbon fiber violin! Which one is better?

Well, it is up to you to decide. Both instruments are quite capable...

About the setup.

For audio recording I have used two MXL 770 small-diaphragm condenser microphones. Audio processing was done with Audacity software. Video was recorded with Go Pro Hero Sessions.

Your comments and likes are always appreciated.

Subscribe in a reader]]>Memories from San Ramon Wedding...Maxim BaluyevSun, 22 May 2016 04:07:01 +0000https://triomaxim.com/trio-maxim-blog/2016/5/21/memories-fro-san-ramon-wedding57300ac69f72664ead5bb1f5:573a117c2b8dde36e4af9831:57412f05cf80a1adb098dfbdWhat a wonderful Celebration it was...  Look at these macaroon towers! Our congratulations and best wishes to a lovely couple Sushrut and Shu!

Tower of Macaroons

]]>A 3D-Printed Electric Violin Sounds as Good as the Real ThingMaxim BaluyevFri, 20 May 2016 16:19:19 +0000https://triomaxim.com/trio-maxim-blog/2016/5/20/a-3d-printed-electric-violin-sounds-as-good-as-the-real-thing57300ac69f72664ead5bb1f5:573a117c2b8dde36e4af9831:573f385f22482e982ebe9ef1Found this interesting violin related post on Gizmodo. Please click HERE to read it. 3DVARIUS photos were posted with expressed permission from the 3D-varuis.com.

Here you can see technical drawing of the design.

 

]]>New business card design!Maxim BaluyevWed, 18 May 2016 20:20:05 +0000https://triomaxim.com/trio-maxim-blog/2016/5/18/new-business-card-design57300ac69f72664ead5bb1f5:573a117c2b8dde36e4af9831:573ccdf2b09f95ad466679e6We just finished working on a new business card design for Trio Maxim. Enjoy!

                                                                                                                                            

                                                                                                                                                 Max B.

Trio Maxim Business Card

]]>New business card design!