Dimitri Illarionov | SEMPRE MUSICA

Blessed with the star gene “… with such temperament, musicianship, richness of colour, radiance, sense of timing and feeling the acoustic qualities of his soft-toned instrument that the combination of all these abilities, coupled with an evident gift for entertainment, is the best expressed in one single word: wow!””

—Tages-Anzeiger (Zurich, Switzerland)

Dimitri Illarionov (b. 1979) is a brilliant young classical guitarist. He is a multi-award winner of more than 20 international competitions in the U.S. , Spain, Italy, Poland, Russia and other countries. He is winner of two of the most prestigious guitar competitions in the world: Guitar Foundation of America Competition (2002, Miami, USA) and Guitar Competition of Francisco Tarrega (2008, Spain) where he was the first Russian winner in the 42-year history of the competition.

As well as performing numerous solo recitals, he is a frequent guest-soloist with symphony and chamber orchestras all over the world. Dimitri is one of the rare guitarists who appears so frequently with orchestra and has played with such orchestras as I Solisti Veneti, State Academic Symphony Orchestra of Russia, Tchaikovsky Symphony Orchestra of Russia, Istanbul State Symphony Orchestra, Orquesta di Valencia etc.

“Truly, this guitarist is a phenomenon.”

—El Norte (Monterrey, México)

Program I

Part 1 ("East Side Story")

Alexander Ivanov-Kramskoi (1912-1973)
    "Horovodnaya" (Variations on the Russian Folk Theme)
    "By the gates" (Variations on the Russian Folk Theme)
    Valse

Sergei Rudnev (b.1955)
"Spread and Flutter" (Fantasia on the on the Russian Folk Theme)

Nikita Koshkin (b.1956)
Ballad No.1 (Allegretto)
Ballad No.2 (Moderato)
from the Suite "Ballads" (1998)

--- (Pause - 1 minute) ---

Part 2 ("Chaconne")

Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750)
Chaconne (from Violin Partita No. 2 in D minor BWV 1004)

---INTERMISSION---

Part 3 ("Guitarists-Composers")

Francisco Tárrega (1852-1909)
Capricho Árabe (Serenata)
Carnival of Venice

Agustín Barrios Mangoré (1885-1944)
    La Catedral (in 3 movements):
    Preludio Saudade (1 mvt)
    Andante Religioso (2 mvt)
    Allegro Solemne (3 mvt)
    Las Abejas (Bees)

Roland Dyens (b.1955)
"Valse en skaï"
"Tango en skaï"

Program II

Part 1 "Masterpieces"

Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750)
Chaconne (from Violin Partita No. 2 in D minor BWV 1004)

Alexandre Tansman (1897-1986)
Piece en forme de Passacaille (1953) (from Posthumous works)

Mario Castelnouvo-Tedesco (1895-1968)
Capriccio Diabolico (Omaggio a Paganini) op.85a (1935)

Part 2 "Guitarists-composers"

Mauro Giuliani (1781-1829)
Grande Ouverture op.61

Francisco Tárrega (1852-1909)
Capricho Árabe (Serenata)

Agustin Barrios Mangoré (1885-1944)
Valse op.8 no.3

Sergei Rudnev (born 1955)
"Spread and Flutter" (Fantasia on the on the Russian Folk Theme)

Sergio Assad (born 1952)
Valseana (2nd movement) & Preludio e toccatina (3rd movement) from the suite "Aquarelle"

Roland Dyens (b.1955)
"Valse en skaï"

Andrianov/Illarionov (cello,guitar)

The "Around the World" Program (the new CD, which will be published in 2014 in France)

John Dowland (1563-1626) 12'
    4 Ayres from "Books of Ayres for Voice and Lute":
    "Fine knacks for Ladies" (1600)
    "I saw my Lady weep" (1600)
    "Come again" (1597)
    "Flow my tears" (1600)
          (Arrangement for Cello and Guitar by Dimitri Illarionov)

Russian Romances: 12'30"
    Unknown author – "I met you" (Ya vstretil vas)
    Vsevolod Buyukli (1873-1920) – "The Gate" (Kalitka)
    Mikhail Glinka (1804-1857) – Nocturne "La Seperation" (Razluka)
    Boris Sheremetev (1822-1906) – "I loved you" (Ya vas liubil)
          (Arrangement for Cello and Guitar by Dimitri Illarionov and Boris Andrianov)

Moldavian Folk Suite: 12'
    "Hora Basarabiei" (Moldavian Folk Dance)
    "Doina Banatului" (Moldavian Folk Song)
    "Coragheasca pe 12" (Moldavian Folk Dance)
    "Syrba de Concert" (Moldavian Folk Dance)
          (Arrangement for Cello and Guitar by Boris Andrianov and Dimitri Illarionov)

Ástor Pantaleón Piazzolla (1921-1992) 17'
    "Invierno Porteño"
    "Fuga y Misterio"
    "La Muerte del Angel"
    "Oblivion"
          (Arrangement for Cello and Guitar by Dimitri Illarionov and Boris Andrianov)

Solos:

Francisco Tarrega (1854-1909)
El Carnaval de Venecia (1880) 8' (Guitar solo)

Giovanni Sollima (b.1962)
Lamentatio (1998) 4 (Violoncello solo)

Additional repertoire

Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750)
    Arioso 5'
    Cello Suite No.5 c-moll BWV 1011––25'
          (Transcription for Cello and Guitar by Dimitri Illarionov and Boris Andrianov)

Franz Schubert (1797-1828)
    Sonata in A Minor, D. 821 "Arpeggione"––25'
         I. Allegro Moderato
         II. Adagio
         III. Allegretto
               (Guitar part transcription by Konrad Ragossnig)

Manuel de Falla (1876-1946) 12'30"
    Suite popular española (1914):
         El paño moruno
         Nana
         Canción
         Polo
         Asturiana
         Jota
               (Transcription by Paul Kochanski, Guitar part transcription by Migel Llobet / Dimitri Illarionov)

Enrique Granados (1867-1916)
Intermezzo from the Opera 'Goyescas 5'
(Transcription by Gaspar Cassadó and Dimitri Illarionov)

Isaac Albéniz (1860-1909)
Asturias (Leyenda) No.5 from 'Suite española' 6'
(Transcription by Dimitri Illarionov)

Igor Stravinsky (1882-1971)
    Italian Suite from the ballet "Pulchinella" (1920) 18'
         Introduction
         Serenade
         Aria
         Tarantella
         Minuet and Finale
               (Transcription by Igor Stravinsky and Gregor Piatigorsky,
              Guitar part transcription by Dimitri Illarionov)

Raffaele Bellafronte (b.1961)
    Suite No. 1 for cello and guitar (1994) 18'
         Preludio
         Histerico
         Romantico
         Tango

Bach solos:

Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750)
Cello Suite No.2 in D-minor BWV 1008 (Cello Solo) 20'

Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750) 13'
Chaconne (from Violin Partita No. 2 in D minor BWV 1004)
(Transcription by Dimitri Illarionov)

His partners on stage are famous and recognized artists – conductors Claudio Scimone (Italy), Vladimir Fedoseyev, Dmitri Liss (Russia), Gum Nanse (Korea), Leo Brouwer (Cuba), Carlos Miguel Prieto (Mexico), guitarists Dusan Bogdanovic (Yugoslavia–USA), Roland Dyens (France), Duo Gruber-Maklar (Germany), as well as young and successful musicians: Boris Andrianov (cello), pianist Denis Matsuev (Russia), violinists Janine Jansen (Holland), Julian Rachlin (Austria), conductors Fabio Mastrangelo (Italy), Alexander Sladkovskiy (Russia), Tao Lin (China) and Bosnian lute player, Edin Karamazov.

Dimitri Illarionov is artistic director of the Novosibirsk Guitar Festival – one of the most important guitar festivals in Russia.

He has given concerts in Europe, Asia, North and South America in some of the most prestigious halls in the world – Tonhalle (Zurich), Great Hall of Moscow Conservatory, Osaka Symphony Hall, Seoul Art Center; Palais des Beaux Arts (Brussels)…. Taking part in many festivals, Dimitri was the first solo guitarist to participate in “Orpheum Foundation for the Advancement of Young Soloists” (Switzerland) and the International Chamber Music Festival in Utrecht (Artistic Director – Janine Jansen, Holland).

Dimitri studied in Russia with the famous performer Alexander Frauchi and also took lessons with composer Nikita Koshkin. He is now professor at the Russian Gnesins’s University of Music in Moscow. Dimitri Illarionov has recorded several CDs: solo for the Naxos and Daminus labels, with orchestra for Les Editions Doberman-Yppan. His “Classical Duo” CD (Delos Records) with Boris Andrianov was on the pre-short-list of the prestigious “GRAMMY-2004” Awards.

Composers have dedicated their works to Dimitri. Italian composer Angelo Gilardino wrote for him the Concerto "Star of the Morning" (Homage to Nikolaj Roerich) for guitar, cello and orchestra; Nikita Koshkin dedicated to Dimitri his Concerto Grosso for Guitar and Orchestra. From 2006 to 2009 Dimitri together with the Moscow State Philharmonic Society was organizer and one of the founders of the International “Guitar Virtuosi” Moscow Festival, held in one of the most prestigious halls in the world – Moscow’s Tchaikovsky Hall. Since 2009 Dimitri is one of the organizers of the Alexander Frauchi International Guitar Competition and is director of the classical section of the largest guitar festival in Russia, the World of Guitar Kaluga International Festival.

—Tages-Anzeiger, (Zurich, Switzerland)

“Truly, this guitarist is a phenomenon.”

—El Norte, (Monterrey, México)

“Dimitri Illarionov’s concert was one of the "top five classical concerts" of 2003 in Edmonton. (...) According to this standard, elegant and dramatic Angela Hewitt was a shoo-in (and a red hot number at that). Classical guitarist Dimitri Illarionov had the same kind of charisma. The chemistry between the audience and this young Russian guitarist was exceptional.”

—Vue Weekly (Edmonton, Alberta, Canada)

“An outstanding virtuoso”

—Oliver Hochkeppel, Sueddeutsche Zeitung

“…he displayed a firework of virtuosity – the filigree of sounds rivaled the incredibly swift technique of fingers and ardent warmth of bursts of emotions. Only an encore performance could satisfy the storms of applause from the audience.”

—Westdeutsche Zeitung

“It was one of the most inspiring guitar performances I have ever heard.”

—Dusan Bogdanovic - guitarist and composer.
Remarks on Dimitri Illarionov's performance in Gdansk

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