Kim Balaschak, chief fund-raiser for the Chamber Orchestra Kremlin and chairman of its board of trustees, is one of those people who has found a way to combine what she loves with what she does well.

For Balaschak, who moved to Moscow from the United States in 1995, music has been a passion since childhood when she studied classical piano. Her acquaintance with the Chamber Orchestra Kremlin began by chance when her husband's company was approached as a potential sponsor and she ended up at one of the orchestra's concerts.

"The music was magic... I had never been so carried away," Balaschak said. With extensive experience in fundraising, and having acquired the skills as an outside consultant for Coopers and Lybrand, Balaschak saw just the opportunity she was looking for in a new country.

She joined the board of trustees, made up mostly of representatives of the companies that sponsored the orchestra. In 1997, she became chairman, and now she juggles her fundraising activities with teaching management classes in Moscow for California State University and co-chairing the committee for consumer goods and agriculture at the American Chamber of Commerce.

In her native United States, the notion that private initiative should serve and help fund the public good is a long-established tradition. In Russia, however, it is a mentality to which many are still adapting.

Less than a decade ago, an orchestra in Russia had little familiarity with terms like "board of trustees" and "fund-raising." But with state funds now minimal at best or simply non-existent, music too has had to go out and meet the market.

The Chamber Orchestra Kremlin, established by violinist Misha Rachlevsky in 1991, falls under the umbrella of the Moscow city government. But with public funds spread very thin, sponsors have always been the orchestra's lifeline.

Balaschak was the ideal candidate for bringing the musicians and the market together. Her fundraising experience began when she was 6 years old and she organized a carnival in her backyard to raise money for a shelter for homeless animals. That was followed by neighborhood fairs and fundraising for alumni associations and election campaigns.

Fundraising, as Balaschak describes it, requires plenty of persistence. "There's a law that says if you don't ask, you won't get. But you have to realize that 95 percent of people we approach say 'no' at first," she said. The rest is a matter of constant contact, innumerable faxes, phone calls, invitations to concerts and generally a focused effort on turning negative responses into positive ones.

The August '98 financial crisis was a blow to Balaschak's work. Many sponsor companies pulled out of Russia, while others cut their budgets. Balaschak's response was to patiently begin all over again.

In June, the orchestra gave a special concert at the Pushkin Museum to present itself to a fresh lot of potential sponsors. The orchestra is lucky in that much of its income comes from its international activities. Extensive tours through the United States and Europe have won it a loyal following.

Balaschak says that another advantage is the orchestra's small size and mobility. "Companies can sponsor us from their marketing budgets. Say they want to unveil a new product or celebrate some anniversary. They invite their clients and organize an event. What could be more special than having a chamber orchestra come and play?"

That's not to say that the orchestra only plays for corporate get-togethers. Balaschak spoke of the need to balance the program. Some of the orchestra's concerts are loss-making, but the objective is to reach a broad Russian public. Other concerts are specifically targeted at people who can pay more for a ticket.

Balaschak admits that Russia is a country where so many people have so many needs, and her fundraising skills could be of help in so many other ways. "You have to choose what you give," she said. "There is a need for something like this orchestra because it enriches the quality of life. It provides pleasure and opportunity."

"You do need passion and belief to do this kind of work," Balaschak said. Listening to her talk about the orchestra, about Misha Rachlevsky, its energetic conductor, and the Russian musicians who make it up, there is no doubt that she believes wholeheartedly in her cause.

"Why do I do this?" she asked herself after detailing the time-consuming fundraising process. "Because I know that someone out there has some spare money, and I know I have a great place for them to spend it."