Olga Glazova is originally from Pskov, but now resident in Saint Petersburg. Her hometown was first mentioned in chronicles as early as 903. Working in the “Northern Venice,” she has become a recognized expert on the gusli, the oldest stringed instrument in Slavic culture – dating back to the Sixth Century. In a modern, digital world where cultural differences often fade, national and even regional specificity can be saved with a backwards glance. There are ancient records of Russian or Slavic prisoners being taken by the Greeks and playing a complex, stringed instrument that spoke uniquely of northern lands. Likewise, one of Russia’s most famous medieval epics includes references to a bard who probably played the same instrument. A wandering minstrel sang a twelfth-century ballad of warring princes: a major conflict was filtered through a single voice. Olga Glazova keeps these hushed, dignified registers alive. Put differently, her music evokes a better, quieter sense of membership in the world. At a time when modern existence promises so little for many Slavic families, the timeless – noiseless – networks of nature are considerably more alluring. The past and its antique churches are closer to that peaceful community and congregation. http://www.farfrommoscow.com/artists/olga-glazova.html