International Jazz Exchange – Young Russian Jazz Musicians Spend Three Weeks on the Palouse
Thursday, February 2 2006
Feb. 2, 2006 MOSCOW, Idaho – Eight young professional Russian jazz musicians arrive in Moscow, Idaho, Feb. 9 for an 18-day immersion into American jazz as it is celebrated at the University of Idaho and in the Northwest. The exchange coincides with the Lionel Hampton International Jazz Festival. This is the second year UI’s International Jazz Collections has been awarded a grant from the Open World Leadership Center in Washington, D.C., to support the musical exchange program. “There is probably not a better time for these musicians to visit the Northwest than during the Lionel Hampton International Jazz Festival,” said Lewis Ricci, director of the International Jazz Collections, which is coordinating the visit. “During their 18-day visit, they will come into contact with thousands of other young musicians and jazz fans, and some of the world’s greatest jazz performers.” The eight musicians participating in the exchange are: · Yekaterina Chernousova, piano: a graduate of the Moscow State Conservatory. She leads her own jazz group, The Rooms, which blends modern and traditional Jewish music and jazz improvisation. · Aleksandr Papiy, guitar: a student at the Gnessins' Russian Academy of Music in Moscow. In 2000, he was among the winners in Russia's Young Jazz Performers Competition. · David Tkebuchava, drums: performed with many American and European jazz musicians during their Russian and Ukrainian tours, and with Russian jazz violinist David Goloshokin. · Pyotr Vostokov, trumpet: performs as a soloist in multiple jazz collectives in Moscow, and performed with American jazz trumpeter Lew Soloff at the Koktebel Jazz Festival in Ukraine last year. · Oleg Ostapchuk, tenor sax: a graduate of Gnesin’s Russian Music Academy. · Denis Shvytov, alto sax: won first place in Russia's Young Jazz Performers Competition in 1994, and worked in the Leonid Lundstrem State Jazz Orchestra and the Igor Butman Big Band. · Anton Vishnyakov, trombone: worked for the Sergey Gusiatinsky Big Band in St. Petersburg, which is noted for its dedication to traditional jazz. · Filipp Mesheryakov, bass: self-taught, with experience in both traditional and modern jazz styles. He performed with Alexey Kanunnikov Dixieland Jazz Band, the Sergey Gusiatinsky Big Band and the Leonid Sendersky Band, which visited Idaho last year. The Russian musicians will stay with host families during their stay. They will participate in several music and arts administration classes at UI and Washington State University to interact with faculty and students. The group will take part in a jazz jam session Saturday, Feb. 11 at 9:45 p.m. at Rico’s Jazz Club in Pullman. A three-day visit to Seattle includes a performance at Dimtriou’s Jazz Alley on Monday, Feb. 20 at 7:30 p.m. During jazz festival week at the University of Idaho, the Russian musicians will conduct clinics during the day, and attend the festival in the evening. They are scheduled to perform during the Thursday, Feb. 23 evening concert. One reason for the success of the exchange program is UI graduate student Vilyen Pidgornyy. Originally from Kyiv, Ukraine, Pidgornyy works in the International Jazz Collections office while pursing a master’s degree in interdisciplinary studies with an emphasis in arts administration. He considers Ukranian and Russian his native languages and he plays an important role as lead interpreter. I’m pretty much on call 24-hours a day,” said Pidgornyy, who steps in to handle any number of communication crises. “Last year, one visiting musician spoke no English and his host family spoke no Russian,” he said. “I got a call late one night, asking me to tell the host family to wake the musician at 7:30 in the morning instead of 7. But it turned out well, because after a few days, each learned enough of the others language so they were able to communicate without my help.” Pidgornyy also has taken on increasing responsibilities for coordinating the exchange program. He helps identify host families, puts together the 18-day schedule and makes arrangement for performances in Spokane and Seattle. He also serves as driver. “These are artists, and artists sometimes need help getting to where they need to be on time,” said Pidgornyy. The visit by the Russian jazz artists is sponsored by a $60,000 grant from the Open World Leadership Center, housed in the Library of Congress in Washington, D.C. The center supports a number of exchange programs that enable young leaders from Russia and other participating countries to experience American democracy and free enterprise in action. UI is one of three universities, along with the University of Louisville and the University of the Pacific, to be awarded grants this year for exchange programs for performing jazz artists. CONTACT: Jeff Olson, University Communications, (208) 885-8934, jolson@uidaho.edu -30- JO-2/2/06-JAZ/CLASS
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