Rachmaninov Elegia op.3 no.1 Sergey Kolesov - saxophone, Alexander Kashpurin - piano

Small Hall of Saint-Petersburg Philharmonia, Season 2023 - 2024 Recital, January 31st 2024 Sergey Kolesov - saxophone Alexander Kashpurin - piano _______________________________________________________________________ Sergey Kolesov is the leading Russian musician saxophonist of today. He has been conducting successful concert and pedagogical activities all over the world for more than 20 years (Russia, Europe, America, Asia). Kolesov is the first Russian musician in history to win the “Grand-prix“ at the prestigious International Adolphe Sax Competition in Dinant, Belgium, 2006. In 2019 Sergey Kolesov has been honoured to represent Russia at this huge event. ​ The official Yamaha (Japan) and D’Addario (USA) artist. A graduate of the Russian Gnesin’s Academy of Music in the class of Professor Margarita Shaposhnikova, Sergey Kolesov is the first prize winner of an impressive number of additional prestigious international competitions: in Italy (International Chamber Music Competition “Salieri-Zinetti“) Verona, 2010, and in Germany (European Chamber Music Competition) Karlsruhe, 2012. Special prize «Henry Selmer» at the International saxophone competition “Saxiana“ in Paris. His successful performances at these competitions have served to raise the level of concert saxophone playing up to the expectations of other more recognised and better established instruments of classical music. The uniqueness of Sergey Kolesov is that he is one of the few world wind players who is able to play grandiose dramatic solo concert programs, keeping the attention and tension of the audience throughout the concert. “. . .all doubts regarding possibilities of classical solo saxophone were disproved at once. This first concert of 19th International Julita Festival was really fantastic. Sergey Kolesov took the public by storm from the very start.” Sven Bertilsson, Katrineholms Kuriren, Sweden “You have to hear Sergey Kolesov yourself in order to realize the ability of his saxophone to “talk” with the human voice, conveying most precise intonation and emotional nuances.” Claus-Dieter Hanauer, Karlsruhe, Germany Alexander Kashpurin is a concert pianist, conductor and piano teacher living in St. Petersburg. Music is the most important element in Alexander Kashpurins life from a young age when he joined the professional boys’ choir of St. Petersburg. The almost daily rehearsals of this choir and the European tours were a feast and inspiration for Alexander. When he received a piano at the age of 8 he became immediately passionate about this instrument and music took an all-embracing central role in his life. ​When he was 12 years old, Alexander was admitted to the St. Petersburg Music Lyceum and joined the piano class of Irina Lobikova. He continued his studies at the Rimsky-Korsakov St. Petersburg State Conservatory in 2014. In 2019 he graduated ’summa cum laude’ for his mater degree and continued this graduation by the “Post Graduate Performance Course“ which he also completed summa cum laude in 2021. The academic year 2021-2022 Alexander joined the artistic program for exceptional young talents at the Queen Elisabeth Music Chapel in Waterloo (near Brussels BE). At the same time, he is affiliated as lecturer (piano playing) at the Rimsky-Korsakov State Conservatory in St Petersburg ​ In 2020 Alexander started the Specialist Degree “Artistic Direction of Symphony Orchestra and Academic Choir“. In 2013, at the age of 15 - First prize and special prize of the 9th Chopin Golden Ring International Competition of Young Pianists in Slovenia; ​In 2017 the 3rd all-Russian S. Bendizky Piano Competition (Grand Prix and special award recipient); The 7th J. Vitols International Piano Competition (Grand Prix and special award recipient); Two-times winner of the all-Russian competition Young Talents of Russia in the category “Musical Art“; ​In 2019 - first prize winner (and 2 special prizes) of the VIII International Čiurlionis Piano Competition in Vilnius, Lithuania. Including a solo concert performance with the Lithuanian National Philharmonic; First prize winner (and 3 special prizes) of the 1st International Russian Music Piano Competition; In 2021 - first prize winner of the ’International Piano Competition ’Les Etoiles Du Piano’ in Roubaix, France.