Our orchestra members
Around 30 dedicated musicians keep this tradition alive — some carrying it forward from the orchestra’s founding family, others simply captivated by the balalaika’s adventurous sound. Meet the people behind the music.
Our Soloists
Nina Pavlovski
Nina Pavlovski is the daughter of the orchestra’s founder, Evgeni Pavlovski, and grew up immersed in the balalaika tradition from birth, joining the orchestra as a vocal soloist at just 14. Trained at the Opera Academy in Copenhagen and later with Russian soprano Galina Vishnevskaya in Paris, she made her operatic debut as Madama Butterfly at the Royal Danish Theatre in 1996, going on to perform title roles including Tosca and Rosalinde in Die Fledermaus.
Randi Pavlovski
As the Chairwoman of the orchestra and the widow of its founder, Evgeni Pavlovski, Randi Pavlovski is the driving force behind the preservation of our unique heritage. Her musical journey began as a vocal soloist and multi-instrumentalist, and her passion for the craft eventually led her to form the successful “All-Girl Orchestra” at a time when the original ensemble was male-only.
Valerij Likhachev
Educated at the prestigious Gnesin Musical Academy in Moscow, Valerij Likhachev has been a prominent figure in the Danish cultural scene for nearly 30 years. As a versatile artist, he masters everything from classical opera to evocative gypsy ballads, whether performing at the Royal Danish Theatre or accompanying himself on the guitar.
Niels Jørgen Riis
Niels Jørgen Riis is one of Denmark’s most exquisitely voiced lyrical tenors and a resident soloist at the Royal Danish Opera. His journey to the stage was quite unique; he was originally on track to become a farmer on his centuries-old family estate on Bornholm, before his passion for singing led him to the Opera Academy in Copenhagen.
Our orchestra members
