Charles Elias Inducted - Youngstown 1973
	Charles Elias needs no introduction to the followers of our music, since the name 'Elias' and the tamburitza are practically synonymous.  Charles is the son of the celebrated teacher and composer of tamburitza music, Dragutin Elias, who pioneered and developed the tamburitza in this country.  Dragutin migrated from Suhopolje, Slavonia in the early 1900s, settling in Milwaukee, where he organized one of the first tamburitza orchestras in the midwest.  Here young Charles was born, the only son in a family of three children, into a rich musical background
	His father started Charles and his two sisters on the tamburitza at an early age.  Besides the tamburitza, Charles also took up the study and playing of the violin, developing his talent and knowledge of music on a broader scale.  So through his grade school and high school years it was endless hours of study and practice to prepare for the time when he would be called to perform for the American public.
	The Elias Serenaders Orchestra was organized and the family orchestra experienced twenty years of continuous travel, presenting concerts and school assembly programs in every state in the union, and throughout Canada and Mexico.  Their affiliation with the extension divisions of many universities took them to institutions of higher education, introducing them to our tamburitza, its music, songs, and customs of the southern Slavs.
	After the death of his father, Charles became the leader of the Elias Serenaders.  During World War II, Charles with his group of girls entertained troops in camps all over the United States, under the auspices of the State Department U.S.O.
	After the war, Charles turned to teaching, writing, and arranging music.  He arranged at least 500 pieces of music for tamburitza and composed many original pieces.  The Serenaders, with new personnel, continued playing for various functions among our people and other nationalities.  His group had a profound influence on many 'non-Slavic' people and did much to advertise the tamburitza.
	In recent years, Charles has entered the field of teaching junior tamburitza orchestras in the midwest, including Milwaukee, Kenosha, Waukegan, as well as in the Iron Range of Minnesota.  He wrote the first tamburitza instruction booklet in the U.S. entitled "Skola Za Tamburase".  Charles Elias has devoted his life to the preservation and advancement of the tamburitza and is dedicated to the fine art of music.
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