JOLLY STRING QUARTET

A COMPELLING STORY OF REDEMPTION

By Kathy Fox

The Jolly String Quartet has a remarkable story. One that is awe-inspiring in fact. What began more than 5,000 miles away in a far East Russian orphanage culminated in Middle Tennessee when four orphans, Viktor, Gorsha, Yara, and Kristina, found a love for music thanks to divine intervention.

PHOTOS COURTESY OF THE JOLLY STRING QUARTET

Although Viktor and Gorsha are blood brothers, they did not meet until Jeff and Elaine Jolly came to visit the orphanage where they lived and each sat upon the knee of their soon-to-be mom and dad and looked eye to eye at each other. They had both lived at the same Russian orphanage but were separated by age. Since Viktor was more than a year older than Gorsha, the two brothers had never had any connection at the orphanage. Furthermore, due to Viktor’s age, he was soon to be moved to a different orphanage which might have meant the two would have been separated forever. However, God obviously had other plans for the brothers as the two were soon to be on their way to the United States to start a new life together.

One of the most impactful stories Jeff and Elaine shared about their adoption process was a visit with Viktor and Gorsha, which later led to the adoption of Yara and Kristina. In the orphanage, there were approximately 25 children per room. Imagine the hope that was felt by the children when visitors would stop by. When Jeff and Elaine went for a visit, the children came running out with their arms up in the air in anticipation saying in Russian, “Mama and Papa.” Through a translator, the children were told, “No, this is Viktor’s and Gorsha’s mama and papa!” The utter anguish showed as the children hung their heads and went back through the iron doors to their room. Sadly, the hard facts are most of the children in the orphanage would never have a family, and that deeply moved both Jeff and Elaine.

About two years after the boys arrived home, Jeff and Elaine went back and adopted Yara and Kristina. Their orphanage was in the same city as the boys but across town. When the girls, who are not biologically related, arrived in the States they were almost five years old and close to the same age as Viktor and Gorsha. When asked if they had memories of the orphanage, Gorsha replied, “If we watch a home video that can kind of trigger things, but I don't think there's any particular moment or memory that stands out. Honestly, that might be a good thing just knowing the conditions and the circumstances we were all in.” The Jolly’s gave each child an American name, which is their legal name, however, their Russian names just stuck.

PHOTOS COURTESY OF THE JOLLY STRING QUARTET

The Jolly’s basically had triplets and one child younger in their family and the journey of the Jolly String Quartet began. The kids were home-schooled, and music was a big part of their schooling. Music has been shown to have a powerful effect on emotions, learning, and brain development, and was a source of redemption and entertainment for the Jolly children. Being home-schooled gave the Jolly kids the flexibility and time to focus on extracurricular music activities. Kristina plays the cello and devoted her time to this one instrument. “My mom was the one who chose the cello for me. When I was little, I was always content to sit for long periods, reading, coloring, or playing. So she thought the cello would best fit my personality. She was right! I absolutely love playing the cello and discovering new styles and techniques that enhance our band's music,” explained Kristina. She also plays some piano, but on stage, she will be playing the cello.

Yara plays the violin/fiddle, and viola and will also sing. As far as the quartet goes, she fills the missing piece of a traditional string quartet with the viola. When asked what her favorite song to play was she said, “It’s hard to pick just one, but “Feeling Good” is my favorite to play right now.” Viktor plays everything from the piano to the guitar. He started primarily as a fiddle player but is also proficient on guitar and piano now. Viktor plays some banjo or bass when the group needs it as well as sings and will sing lead on some songs. Gorsha rounds out the quartet playing the mandolin and violin and is the lead singer for most of the group’s songs. He also does most of the songwriting, but it is a collaborative effort.

PHOTOS COURTESY OF THE JOLLY STRING QUARTET

By the time the talented quartet was in high school, they were classically trained playing a lot of college repertoire and were in pre-college music programs. There was still plenty to be learned so the quartet started to shift gears away from classical music moving towards the commercial styles of a blend of folk, pop, jazz, gospel, and newgrass. After high school graduation, coming from a home school background and having their roots already firmly established, they decided to move forward and pursue music as a sibling quartet instead of attending college.

PHOTOS COURTESY OF THE JOLLY STRING QUARTET

Over the years, the Jolly String Quartet has played on impressive stages like the Ryman Auditorium, The Opry House, the Country Music Hall of Fame, and Carnegie Hall. “Playing at the Ryman was exciting, and we were all a bit jittery,” said Viktor, “but all the staff and other musicians were so nice and welcoming that it put us at ease. It's a really cool venue and we had an unforgettable experience!” It truly is noteworthy to play on stages with such accolades and history, but as Gorsha explained, “It is magical to play on stage at a place like the Opry, Ryman, or Carnegie Hall, but what’s also important are the interactions with the audience. When we play at places like Puckett’s in Franklin or Columbia, the crowd loves it and that is as impactful and just as good of an experience as when we play at the Ryman or Opry.”

At present in their careers, with the four Jolly’s being in their early twenties, Jeff and Elaine are still heavily involved, but in different ways than when they were younger. Jeff helps with the accounting side and manages the finances and Elaine is involved with scheduling and negotiating contracts with clients and venues areas they are both well versed in. The parents both travel with the Quartet and tell the adoption story from their perspective and take questions after the shows. Over the years Quartet has evolved, but it remains a family endeavor.

PHOTOS COURTESY OF THE JOLLY STRING QUARTET

The Quartet’s story is no doubt inspiring to all who hear it and is the perfect way to present the gospel in a way that is almost parallel to scripture with entertaining music. “God worked powerfully to get us here in the first place,” Gorsha said, “but once we got here we were able to develop our skills and now share our story.”

When they tell their story, people are mesmerized by the fact that their talent was once discarded and is now being used to share what God did by bringing them from Russia to Middle Tennessee. One of Gorsha’s favorite scriptures is from John 16:33 stating, “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world, you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” Gorsha concluded, “This verse is a bolstering and assuring admonition as well as an awe-inspiring reminder of God's sovereignty and omnipotence. We wouldn’t be here in Middle Tennessee without divine intervention.”

PHOTOS COURTESY OF THE JOLLY STRING QUARTET

PHOTOS COURTESY OF THE JOLLY STRING QUARTET

The Jolly String Quartet Upcoming Events

To view their calendar of scheduled performances, visit thejollystringquartet.com Follow them on social media at @thejollystringquartet.