Jazz and classical pianist

Alexey FILIMONOV
Classical and jazz pianist, composer

Alexey Filimonov amazes the audience with a new interpretation of classical masterpieces in his original piano performing manner. Alexey's audience is fascinated by his unusual versions of works by such great composers as J. S. Bach, J. F. Handel, J. Brahms, F. Chopin, E. Grieg, A. Scriabin, S. Rachmaninov and others. Alexey Filimonov's playing gives the audiences the opportunity to hear famous classical works and at the same time appreciate his modern view of the music of the past.

Hello! My name is Alexey Filimonov and I am a professional pianist and composer, graduated the Russian Academy of Music in Moscow as a concert pianist and St. Petersburg State Conservatory as a composer. Besides, I am the author of several musical programs that have no analogues in the world of music.

In 2001, 2002, 2003 I was the first Russian pianist to participate in the prestigious “Montreux Jazz Piano Solo Competition” which took place in Switzerland, where I obtained the diploma of “Montreux Jazz Festival”. In 2004 I received the second prize of the “Concours International de Soloiste de Jazz” in the Principality of Monaco, and the following year I became the winner of the international competition “26th Jazz Hoeilaart International Contest” in Belgium.

In 2023 I have received a residence permit in France under the Talent Passport program in the "International Recognition” category and now lives in France with my family.

“IndiviDualPlay” is piano program, which consists entirely of my interpretations of classical music masterpieces. I invented a unique method of playing classical music there, which consists of playing the original accompaniment of well-known classical pieces on the left hand while playing my interpretations of these pieces on the right hand. "IndiviDualPlay" is the only concert program of its kind, where the academic sound of the piano is combined with the improvised nature of the music being played at the time, which always arouses genuine interest from classical music professionals and amateurs. Throughout the presentation, I tell the audience about my innovative method in French or English.

« IndiviDualPlay »

« Bachiniana del Flamenco »

I invented a brand new concert program for solo violin, piano and guitar “Bachiniana del Flamenco”. In this music, for the first time in the world, I have combined musical styles as far apart as Spanish flamenco and late baroque from the time of composer J.S. Bach. Thanks to the Bachiniana del Flamenco program, the medieval sound of musical instruments has shone with new colors, and the Spanish rhythms have added a new energy to it, which is enthusiastically welcomed by the listeners of my concerts. I successfully performed both musical programs in various concert halls in Russia and several European countries.

Spain and Hungary...
What unites the musical cultures of these two countries? According to pianist and composer Alexey Filimonov, these are their common gypsy roots. He decided to confirm his version with the new musical program "My Spanish Brahms". As the main source, the musician chose the work of composer Johannes Brahms and his "Hungarian Dances" – one of the most popular and spectacular compositions that combines Hungarian characteristics of Gypsy musical traditions. Gypsy folklore has also been an integral part of Spanish music since antiquity, especially in its love for the expression of feelings through dance. Alexey paid his attention to these coincidences, layering J. Brahms' Hungarian national melodies with Spanish rhythms.

The incendiary playing of the flamenco guitar, combined with the Eastern European flavor of the violin, piano and double bass, form a complete cycle of works, each stylistically reflecting the full variety of national dances of the two countries. The Music Improvisation Warehouse allows artists to 'create' directly on stage, revealing to the audience the full range of the relationship between Gypsy folklore and the musical culture of Hungary and Spain.

« Mon Brahms Espagnol »

« Bachiniana del Flamenco »

"Solveig - the path of the sun" is a new musical program by pianist and composer Alexey Filimonov, based on the music of E. Grieg for the drama "Peer Gynt" by H. Ibsen using the melodic turns of Chinese folklore and imitating the sound of the Chinese violin Erhu. The unusual combination of vibraphone and cello as solo instruments contrasts with the rhythmic variety of the accompanying jazz trio (piano, double bass and percussion). The improvisational way of presenting the musical material emphasizes the melodic and harmonic development of the original source music. The intonation base of Norwegian folk melodies is similar in structure to the five-tone structure of Chinese music. And the widespread use of melodic ornaments in melodies makes the musical folklore of Norway and China linked.

« Solveig – chemin du soleil »

« Baroque-Jazz »

The Baroque-Jazz project was formed in 2015. The main purpose of its creation was the idea of finding a new sound of early music through its interpretation in a modern improvisation-jazz style. The ensemble's repertoire includes author's arrangements of works by masters of the Baroque era for mezzo-soprano, solo violin and jazz trio (piano, double bass and drums). The intertwining of styles and genres in the playing of the musicians opens up new facets in the primary sources of the works performed, and the unusual sound of such different instruments on the same stage becomes a new look at the music of the past through the eyes of a modern person.

Letters of recommendation

— Caroline DELLA CARITA, directrice de Paris C'Show, France:

" Il est un pianiste classique, jazz, compositeur et arrangeur de génie. Son interprétation, sa technique et son interactivité avec le public est tout à fait impressionnant. Sa bonne éducation et son expertise musicale lui permettront d'espérer un grand succès auprès du public français ".

— Johan PLOUVIER, directeur de croisière au sein de la compagnie "Ponant", France:

" C'est avec grand enthousiasme que j'écris cette letter afin de recommander le travail de Monsieur Alexei Filimonov. Sa rigueur, son professionnalisme, et son incroyable talent au piano sont ses principaux atouts".

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— Adrie HOOGLAND, directeur Home of Jazz, Netherlands:

"For the next few years Alexey Filimonov devoted himself to composing new music programs that combine different styles of music and in which he skillfully combines classical music programs with his own compositions and jazz interpretations. His performances took place in Amsterdam, The Hague, and Eindhoven and aroused great interest among classical lovers and flamenco music fans alike".

— Jurgita MURAUSKIENE, directress of Kristupo Festivalis, Lithuania:

"Our audience was impressed by such an original presentation of the theme and the supreme virtuosity of the musicians. The performance without any doubts became a very nice experience and memorably night for the Festival's audience and our team".

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Diplomas

— DIPLÔME de ALEXEY FILIMONOV, Académie russe de musique Gnessine, Ville de Moscou, Féderation de Russie

— DIPLÔMES du 4ème et 5ème Concours de Piano Jazz à Montreux (Suisse, Montreux Jazz Festival)

— 2éme PRIX de 6éme Concours International de Soliste de Jazz (Académie de Musique, Mairie de Monaco)

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My interview for the Dutch magazin MEDIA LOFT

“The abolition of Russian culture is a completely imposed narrative”

Pianist and composer Alexei Filimonov on the heredity of
Russian emigration and creativity in troubled times

02.02.2023
Alexei Filimonov is a pianist and composer who graduated from the Gnesin Russian Academy of Music. He is a graduate of the Gnesin Academy of Music and winner of several international competitions in Switzerland, Monaco and Belgium. At various times he has collaborated with renowned musicians in Russia and Europe, and has composed and staged a mono-opera at the Concert Hall of the Mariinsky Theatre as well as several concert programmes at the St Petersburg Philharmonic. In his music, Alexey successfully combines baroque and jazz, the music of Johann Sebastian Bach and the rhythms of flamenco, the works of F. Chopin, and A. Scriabin.

EMIGRATION AND THE FRENCH PASSPORT-TALENT

- You and I are now in the south of France, in a couple of weeks you’ll be playing shows in Dubai, and in spring 2023 you have a tour of Europe planned, right?

- Yes, I left in September 2022 because I had a contract with a French company and the mobilisation was announced at that time. For various reasons the contract had to be interrupted, but the company still invited me to stay for a month in the south of France, with full board. It all happened so suddenly that I was stumped for a while by what happened. But after two or three days, I realised that I had been given time to start doing something new: it was likely to be a future residence permit in this country. This is how I interpreted another twist of fate.

Everything that happens to us all of a sudden is for something, I have learnt this through the years.
I arrived here, settled in and started to collect the documents for a residence permit.

- That’s very interesting, tell me more!

- France is probably the only country today that grants residence permits to creative people and artists, and for four years at a time: here it is called a talent passport. In addition, it is possible to apply together with your family and apply for a permit for all of them at the same time. In this situation it is very important to think positively: you ask to live and work in France not because you feel bad at home, but because you can do more here. This is not an option for refugees, not a way of crossing the border to avoid mobilisation but rather an opportunity to move forward.

A passport talent is a special or simplified document that entitles the holder to remain in France for a long period of time (generally four years). The advantage of this migration scheme is that requests for a passport-talent are processed as a priority, i.e. faster than requests for a residence permit for work or documents for the self-employed.

- It turns out that now, as a hundred years ago, the creative intelligentsia gathers in France...

- Opening up new horizons in general is characteristic of creative people: great things are seen from a distance, pardon the platitude. People think they’re playing a new game, but it’s all been there before. Open Zinaida Gippius’s memoirs - there it is interesting to describe what was the forerunner of the revolution, because she and D. Merezhkovsky were inside the whole ‘silver age’ in St.Petersburg.

There are many parallels between the early 20th century in Russia and what is going on there now: Dugin’s Eurasianism and the Schlaining of that time, Alexander Blok’s Scythians and the painful search for identity after the collapse of the USSR.
And given the fact that the intelligentsia gathers in France, there are many “Russian” places, and where else but here to try to realize the great things that have happened to Russia over the last 30 years. It seems to me that striving to Paris is part of the cultural code of the Russian intelligentsia and has become akin to searching for the “Promised Land”...

Contact

mobil/whatsapp: +33 (0) 7 68 62 70 75
e-mail: filimonovpianist@gmail.com

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