SaMa Duo are Sara Pajunen (violin/Hardanger D'amore) and Maja Radovanlija (classical guitar). They have been performing together for the past two years, developing a distinctive musical voice that blends Northern European folk traditions, Balkan music, and improvisation, all grounded in their years of Western classical training.
Maja Radovanlija is an acclaimed classical guitarist and arranger born in Belgrade, Serbia, who serves on the guitar faculty at the University of Minnesota. She earned her master's and doctoral degrees from Indiana University's Jacobs School of Music and has toured extensively across Europe, the United States, and the Middle East. Known for her eclectic repertoire spanning baroque to traditional Balkan music, she is also an active chamber musician and a member of the Minneapolis Guitar Quartet.
Sara Pajunen is an interdisciplinary violinist, composer, and sound artist born in Virginia, Minnesota, who splits her time between Minnesota and Helsinki. She earned degrees in classical music and contemporary improvisation from the University of Minnesota, Stadia in Helsinki, and the New England Conservatory of Music. Deeply influenced by her ancestral roots in the Mesabi Iron Range, her work beautifully blends classical training, folk music, and electro-acoustic elements, leading to six acclaimed studio albums and collaborations with touring ensembles like Aallotar.
Other Country Ensemble (OCE) features veteran musicians from the Twin Cities, performing traditional music from the northern Mediterranean region ranging from Spanish Sephardic to Greek and Turkish music, and original compositions inspired by the regions. They weave tales of the history of the music from 711 A.D on and the fusion of sounds that spread through the Mediterranean, as well as the instruments they perform.
OCE is:
Steve Clarke - bass, alto and C flutes, and soprano sax
Laurie Knutson - bass and alto clarinet
Scott Nieman - oud, bouzouki, mandocello
Michael Ziegahn - flamenco guitar, cajon, voice
Mark Black - frame drums, darbuka, and various percussion
OCE on Facebook
Sara Pajunen Website
Maja Radovanlija Website
Interview with Sara
Tickets are $10 in Advance / $15 at the Door. Doors open at 7pm. Online ticket sales end at 5pm.
Our full restaurant and bar service is available in the theater! Order from your seat and enjoy the show, we'll take care of the rest.
We recommend arriving early to grab a drink and find your spot; please keep in mind that we stop seating 30 minutes after the show starts. We do not do refunds or exchanges.