Elena and Gregory are among the most exciting and talented accordionists that I have had the pleasure of hearing. They are each virtuoso bayanists , but the magic really begins when they combine as a duet. Their beautiful knack for matching dynamics and attack is delightful. With a repertoire ranging from classical, to jazz, to traditional, you will never tire of listening to this couple. Cleanly executed runs, perfectly interlaced passages, and interesting harmonies are hallmarks of the Fainshteins.
Greg Klugiewicz President, Dallas Accordion Association
My late husband, Gregory, and I were married for over 30 years. We started playing together at the age of 17. Our music, like our lives, has journeyed with us from the Soviet Union to Israel to Dallas, Texas - our home since 2003.
We were both classically trained musicians and graduated from the Belarusian State Academy of Music, which is the highest level of musical education in Belarus.
Our repertoire was diverse, as we played everything from classic, folk, jazz, and polka. If we could not find arrangements for an accordion duo, Gregory would arrange the music himself for us!
If you are interested in accordion duo music, please Contact Me.
Throughout our life together, Gregory and I performed at a variety of concerts and venues all over the world which included Belarus, Russia, Georgia, Lithuania, Ukraine, Germany, Israel, and all across the United States. We were honored to perform for the President of Israel.
We have also participated in various conventions & festivals – The National Accordion Association Convention, Las Vegas International Accordion Convention, & Accordionist Teacher Guild.
We were supposed to perform a concert on October 10, 2020, to celebrate our 40 year long musical journey that began when we were teenagers, long before we were married. Unfortunately, the pandemic meant all public concerts were canceled. Instead, we created a video with photos and music from that musical journey. Now that Gregory has passed away, this video means even more to me.
Gregory and I were very actively engaged in introducing the bayan, a unique instrument, to younger generations in the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex through my private music school, Musical Expressions.
Gregory was the quiet force behind me, pushing and encouraging me to do things I wasn't always sure I could accomplish. We established the Fainshtein Accordion Ensemble in 2013, and Gregory arranged most of the compositions. In addition to his playing skills, he was very skilled at arranging music not originally written for an accordion, highlighting the unique features of the bayan.
Some of our most memorable accomplishments include a TV appearance when we lived in Israel, an article published about us by the Dallas Morning News, and our participation at a TED Talk event at Dallas College-Mountain View.
During our musical careers, we released two albums titled Musical Adventure and Together, which you can sample and purchase at Amazon.com, Spotify, and iTunes. While some of the music was originally written for the accordion, Gregory arranged most of the pieces, which were written for a variety of instruments.