NEW – PHOTO REPORT 2011Moscow & program download

With participation of the federal agency of culture, Russian Gnessin Academy of Music and the Friedrich Lips Fund, the traditional XXI International Festival “Bayan and Bayanists” took place in the concert hall of the Russian Gnessin Academy of Music in Moscow from December 14 to 18, 2011.

In the opening concert, laureats of international competitions 2011 were acclaimed by the public: N. Bolotin, K. Tarabrina, A. Verentennikov, P. Zyabko, A. Kolomytsev, A. Kriklivy, R. Batalov, Iosif Purits and Samgar.

In the occasion of the 60th jubilee of A. Kholminov’s legendary “Suite” Sergey Osokin was performing this famous work of the bayan repertoire any accordionist is familiar with, whether by playing or listening to it.

Russia’s People’s Artist A. Belyayev was celebrating his 80th anniversary this year. He has been introducing the electronic bayan to the concert stage and, besides other activities, did a lot of first performances of well-known works by among others Shenderyov, Repnikov and Vlassov. E. Akhanov, A. Sysoyev and the quartet “Admiral” (M. Tchernov, cond.) were performing in his honor.

S. Gubaidulina, Russia’s world-known contemporary composer, celebrated her 80th birthday on October, 24th. After Friedrich Lips having performed her new concerto “Fachwerk” at a so-called “Gubaidulina Festival” held in Moscow in the end of November, a concert was dedicated to her during the bayan festival.

V. Volkov (bayan), R. Samuruyev (violin) and A. Suslin (double-bass) performed some of her works such as among others “De profundis”, “Et exspecto”, “In croce” and “Silenzio”, which surely have become part of the important repertoire of the accordion in the meantime.

In the occasion of his 65th anniversary M. Imchanitsky gave a lecture dealing with articulation and intonation on the modern bayan illustrated on the instrument by the author himself. L. Lavrov (“Sonata” for bayan) and a string quartet of the Shnittke College were performing works by the composer Imchanitzky.

Yuri Medianik, winner of the Moscow bayan competition in 2000, was born in a musical family so that he already developed many musical skills in his early years. Nowadays he is forming different projects showing his huge range from baroque to contemporary music including the Argentine tango. In his festival concert he was performing works by J.S. Bach together with cellist B. Andrianov.

Alexander Dmitriev, merited artist of Russia and internationally renowned bayanist from St. Petersburg, celebrated his 60th birthday by performing a very well chosen program acclaimed by the public enthusiastically. His son Vitali Dmitriev performed O. Sharov’s arrangement of J. Strauss’ “On the blue Danube” and also served as an excellent duo partner. Picture below of Alexander Dmitriev and Vitali Dmitriev performing at the recent St Peterburg Festival.

According to the tradition of the bayan festival, one concert is dedicated to bayanists representing a specific region of Russia. This time accordionist/bayanists from the city of Saratov (homeland of famous Ivan Panitsky) were highlighted to show their big musicianship and excellent technique in both solo and ensemble performances.

The absolute highlight of the whole festival – not only because of the completely filled concert hall of the Gnessin Music Academy – was the final concert with “Klezmer reloaded” and “Klaus Paier trio” from Austria.

Maciej Golebiovski and Alexander Shevchenko met in Vienna (Austria) and brought distinguished classical training from Poland and Russia with them. In Austria they were confronted by diverse, and for them new, musical worlds and their paths crossed many times through various performances. They had a lot of fun making music together and quickly found common ground – in huge enthusiasm and endless inspiration. These two open-minded musicians make use of their broad musical background and create their own art of klezmer in every concert. They base their musical expression on improvisation and the connection of elements of Ukrainian folk music with jazz, classic, funky and oriental sounds right up to contemporary music. Golebiovski’s clarinet becomes lost in furious improvisations and Shevchenko’s accordion answers with densely woven solos that never really want to end. The result: a program full of stylistic surprises

Accordion, double bass and percussion is a combination of instruments, which is quite rare. Nevertheless the Klaus Paier TRIO is celebrated world-wide and the public enthusiastically praises the outstanding musicality of this ensemble. In Klaus Paier’s compositions all those influences and style elements appear the accordionist in the course of his past career was confronted with: the complex spontaneity of jazz, the lively passion of Tango Nuevo, the disciplined moment of European classical period, the multi-sided tradition of European folk music. With an almost natural devotion he plumbs the different facets of this music with relish.

Surely a historical moment when CIA Vice-President Herbert Scheibenreif presented the CIAMerit Award to bayan legend Anatoly Vladimirovitch Belyayev for his outstanding contributions to the development of the accordion in the occasion of his 80th birthday on March, 21 2011.

According to the tradition (since 1993) the “SILVER DISKs” were conferred to accordionists/bayanists A. Ledenyov, V. Golubnichy, V. Lomako and K. Paier for their merits in the bayan art.

Exhibitions and presentations of musical instruments by a number of world producers took place in the foyer of the concert hall Russian Gnessin Academy of Music throughout the festival.

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