Kaarin Van Ausdal

Kaarin Van Ausdal was a performer with the Tamburitzans from 1988 to 1992, but her love for Eastern European folk culture began much earlier—at age seven, when she started folk dancing. She soon added violin and sewing to her creative pursuits, and formative travels to Bulgaria, Hungary, Romania, Croatia, and Serbia in the 1980s and 1990s deepened her connection to the region’s traditional arts.

Her costuming journey began with her high school musical in Berkeley, CA. After college, she served as costume mistress for the South Hills Junior Tamburitzans, and later for the Kyiv Ukrainian Dance Ensemble, where she was also a dancer.

Kaarin holds a B.A. in Liberal Studies from Duquesne University and a Master’s in Library Science from the University of Pittsburgh. Since 1996, she has worked as a librarian at the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh. As Costume Co-Coordinator, she brings decades of hands-on experience and a deep appreciation for cultural authenticity to the Tamburitzans’ vibrant performances.