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Press-Release
The association of Russian musicians, inspired by the idea of converting the Russian tradition into the new forms of modern music is presenting the ETHNOSPHERE project.
ETHNOSPHERE today is a swiftly evolving cultural movement of professional musicians performing ethnic music of various nations and nationalities of Russia in both traditional and modern styles.
ETNOSPHERE musicians presented their works at the Welcome Party of the G-8 summit in St. Petersburg, July, 2006, and at the CIS summit in Sochi, August 15, 2006. They are also regular partakers in many music festivals in and out of Russia. р ETNOSPHERE musicians presented their works at the meeting of the President of Russia Vladimir Putin with the president of the USA George Bush in city Sochi, April 5, 2008.
ETHNOSPHERE Project managerial personnel: directorial staff:
SERGEI FILATOV – author of the idea, initiator and artistic director of ETHNOSPHERE project. A professional musician, brilliant pianist and stylist with good hand in all the modern sound-recording technologies, Filatov is a fully shaped up creative personality with an original performing style of his own, for whom the ethnic ingredient of music is an instrument not for experimentation with styles, but for subtle discernment “from within” into the spiritual essence of a nation.
VITALI KIS , a splendid guitarist and composer. He worked with the National Arts Music Theatre and Phonograph jazz band, as well as with such big-time singers as Alexander Malinin, Alsu, Demis Russos (during his Russian tour in 2005). Vitali introduces classical technique into his style, plays with fingers rather than with a plectrum, which is quite exceptional for the present-day musical scene. The major components of his guitar playing style include refined sense of melody, filigree technique, fastidious “extraction” of sounds - and all these in combination with irresistible personal charms.
ALEXY ARKHIPOVSKY – a virtuoso balalaika-player with highly distinctive manner who manages to blend together vivid folk nuances and his own inimitable style. Arkhipovsky deservedly ranks among the top balalaika-players both in Russia and worldwide. Beginning mid-90s Arkhipovsky extensively tours with solo concerts in this country and internationally. His performances enjoyed enthusiastic response at such high-status international events as EXPO-92 (Spain), Frankfurt Book Fair (Germany, 2004), Russian Days Festival at the Lincoln Center (USA, 2004) and many others. On the three strings of a balalaika the maestro plays not only Russian folk melodies, but also originally treated classical, jazz and rock compositions. His arrangements stand out for flawless technique and profundity of expression.
SERGEI STAROSTIN is a renowned Russian expert in folklore, brilliant vocalist and player on many ethnic instruments. He quite remarkably combines the traditional approach to the Russian folklore and the man’s natural predilection for modernity.
In defiance of all canons his authentic performance perfectly fits into the framework of the present-day avant-garde, as exemplified by the Once Upon a Time band, his collaboration with Inna Inn а Zhelannaya, or the famous Moscow Art Trio with Arkadi Shilkloper and Mikhail Alperin.
SERGEI KLEVENSKY ranks among the top experts in ethnic brass instruments, having collaborated with such outstanding bands as Jethro Tull (Jan Anderson), King Crimson (Pat Mastelloto, Trey Gunn).
Quite often Klevensky combines within one composition the Celtic, Slav, Scandinavian, Balkan and Asian brass instruments, each of those used for a specific musical phrase. Klevensky: “I’m not just showing off craftsmanship. One or another instrument is used to express a specific idea or thought”.
IVAN SMIRNOV ranks among Russia’s best acoustic guitar players. A brilliant instrumentalist and arranger, he is deservedly considered one of the leading “perfectionists” of the Russian culture. Possessing virtuoso techniques and distinctive performance style, he pulls out all the stops to convey to the audiences his world outlook, permeated with the profoundly Russian spirit and infinite love for his home-country.
THE BELY OSTROG (White Burg) duet of guitarist Yuri Matveyev and violinist Artyom Yakushenko have performed at many festivals worldwide: Turku Arts Festival (Finland) and Tahoe (US), the Northern Countries Festival in Troms (Norway), Country Music Festival in Reno (US), Constellation Film Festival in Archangelsk (Russia), Music Festivals in New London (USA) and Oslo (Norway). The Ostrog’s shows stand out for catching melodies, fiery virtuoso performance, exceptional dedication, the magic of ethic nuances, flawless teamwork of the musicians. The duet is quite unparalleled. As any original group it resists any categorization. It seems that “world music” would be the most accurate definition, even though this is rather quite a new style, still nameless and having no followers.
GRUNYA ethno-fusion project was launched in 2004 by a family tandem of vocalist Yelena Kis and guitar-player Vitali Kis. Within the framework of this project the album GRUNYA-YAGODA was released (Silver Records/ Mystery of Sound), featuring little known folk songs that had been collected in the course of folklore expeditions to the Trans-Baikal region, South and Central Russia. The original sound of folk songs was adapted and performed in the modern styles of funk, acid jazz and house by composer and virtuoso guitarist Vitali Kis.
SIRIN , an ancient Russian spiritual music band was founded in October 1989 by singer, choirmaster and folklorist Andrei Kotov who had for many years studied the distinctive properties of the medieval Russian folk signing tradition.
The band performs ancient Russian motets of the 15 th to 18 th centuries. The band’s programs invariably have a dramatic underscoring and are full of passion and expression.
The singers/researchers are striving to convey the world outlook of a believer through their own experience of ancient motets.
ANDREI DOYNIKOV is a young and talented composer, having to date authored soundtracks for eighteen movies. In 2000 he became the youngest Russian composer to be invited by the Goethe Institute to collectively compose The Passions of St. Mathew, timed for the jubilee of Johann Sebastian Bach.
Within the framework of ETHNOSPHERE project he composed the unique Mardi Gras suite for soloists and symphony orchestra that was premiered during the 2007 Mardi Gras in Yaroslavl.
ETHNOSPHERE offers itself for participation in various music festivals of either an individual musician with a short solo performance or a composite concert program with all the musicians of the project.
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