We Meet the Year of Tchaikovsky

The Chizhik Jazz Quartet is a true phenomenon in the music world. The programme the quartet will be performing includes jazz arrangements (Mozart, Tchaikovsky, Bizet, Bach) as well as original music by Alexei Chizhik – typically St Petersburg in style and yet at the same time rhythmically jazzy and stirring. The aristocratic nature of classicism and the intellectual style of jazz are blended together naturally and given a freshness by the creative drive of all the quartet’s members. Each is a first-class musician with a rich and “dark” artistic past, a bleak present and, beyond all doubt, a bright future.
One can see and hear the class of the musicians immediately; the performance is virtuoso, they have a sense of ensemble playing and they have complete freedom of self-expression. The interesting stratagems of lyricism and irony, at times self-irony, at times making fun of each other (essentially one can observe amusing collisions between the first-class showman Oleg Belov and the quartet’s leader Alexei Chizhik), do not let the audience relax, quite the reverse – this all intrigues them. One wants to attend the Chizhik Quartet’s concerts again and again – for the aforementioned details as well as because of the fact that after the quartet’s performance one enters a state akin to euphoria, some universal joy and love for everything lining. These are the inherent characteristics of true art.

ALEXEI CHIZHIK
Vibraphone
The only vibraphone player in the world who plays with five drumsticks at the same time. Has appeared onstage with such outstanding musicians as Plácido Domingo, Mstislav Rostropovich, Wynton Marsalis and Mariss Jansons. He has performed recitals at such renowned St Petersburg venues as the Great and Small Halls of the St Petersburg Philharmonic, the St Petersburg State Capella, Smolny Cathedral and the Jazz Philharmonic. Has appeared at numerous international projects and festivals. In 1995 he appeared with Larry Porter at the JazzQ festival in Petropavlovsk and with Andrea Marcelli at the City Jazz Festival in Moscow.

OLEG BELOV
Keyboards
Oleg Belov looks somewhat like an alien, especially when Alexei Chizhik makes him “antennae” out of vibraphone drumsticks. At heart he is a very serious and charming person. Teaches jazz improvisation at the Conservatoire. He is a renowned music producer. Composes for plays and films. Heads the group Double Penetration. Appears with the Vlad Zhukov Band, the Chizhik Jazz Quartet and the Yana Fortep Liquid Trio. Has collaborated with Marc Almond, Igor Vdovin, Zemfira, Andrei Samsonov and numerous other acclaimed musicians.

PYOTR MIKHEYEV
Percussion
One of the greatest and most charming drummers in St Petersburg, he participates in various projects including – though not exclusively – jazz. These include No-One’s Quartet, the Lera Gehner Band, Karamazovs, the Yulia Khudyakova Quartet, Zydeco Project and Doo Bop Sound. Drummer with the band Pilotage.

VIKTOR SAVICH
Bass Guitar
St Petersburg’s most hip, charismatic and in-demand bass player. Has performed with the groups Fun2Mass, Double Penetration, Vlad Zhukov Band and Upsweep. Has also appeared with Amy Pieterse and Bogdan Titomir. Appears as “DJ Savich”.