The traditional music of the former Soviet Union was preserved through the efforts of vocalist and ethnomusicologist Vyacheslav Shchurov. As a student of influential folk music researcher Anna Rudneva, Shchurov was so moved by field studies conducted with his teacher, that in 1958 he formed a trio to perform the songs they collected. This sparked a revival of interest in traditional Russian music. Producing several concerts at the Composers' House in Moscow during the late '60s, he provided a forum for folk-oriented musicians. He formed a large ensemble of singers, Solovka, in 1968, with graduates of Moscow's Gnesin Musical Institute. Focusing on the unique singing styles of the mountainous region of Tuva, Shchurov produced an album, Pesni I Instrumentalie Melodii Tuvi, that included the first recorded examples of Tuvan vocalizing. ~ Craig Harris, All Music Guide