When members of the Trio Voronezh began their musical careers, they started at the bottom, literally, performing in the subway stations and streets of Europe.

Now an international phenomenon, the Russian trio will present a program of classical, folk and contemporary music at Hope College in Dimnent Memorial Chapel on Tuesday, March 5, at 8 p.m. as part of the Great Performance Series.

The trio's diverse repertoire includes works by classical composers such as Bach, Vivaldi and Tchaikovsky, as well as Russian folk music and popular songs by Gershwin and Piazzola. The "Stanford Daily" describes the trio as "delicate, dynamic, and refreshing."

Classically trained at the Conservatory in Voronezh, Russia, the trio made its U.S. debut at the Oregon Bach Festival in 1996. Since then, Trio Voronezh has been featured on Garrison Keillor's "A Prairie Home Companion" and has performed in major music venues throughout the U.S. and Europe. Part of the trio's appeal stems from its use of traditional Russian instruments.

Member Vladimir Volochin plays the domra, a three-stringed short necked lute that has been used in Russian folk music since the 15th century. The Russian national champion of the instrument, he is able to match his blazing speed on the instrument with an ability to draw out a variety of sounds.

Joining him is Sergei Teleschev, who plays the bajan, a chromatic-button accordion with various registers that he changes by using his chin.

Valeri Petruchin completes the trio with the double-bass balaika, the three-stringed Russian national instrument with a large triangular body and a deep, resonant sound.

Tickets are available in the theatre lobby ticket office in the DeWitt Center, and cost $14 for regular admission, $12 for senior citizens and members of the Hope faculty and staff, and $5 for Hope students and children under 18. The ticket office is open Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Saturday noon to 5 p.m., and can be called at (616) 395-7890.

Any remaining tickets will also be sold at the door.

Dimnent Memorial Chapel is located on College Avenue at 12th Street. The DeWitt Center is located on Columbia Avenue at 12th Street.