Video of Russian Renaissance: Published on May 4, 2017
Program:
Tango pour Claude (1993)
Richard Galliano (b. 1950)
Bibo no Auzora (1996)
Ruichi Sakamoto (b. 1952)
Vanya (2016)
Crossover composition (arr. Russian Renaissance)
Caravan (1936)
Duke Ellington (1899-1974)
Barynya
Russian Folksong/arr. Aleksandr Tarasov

Russian Renaissance includes the following musicians:
Ivan Kuznetsov (balalaika), Anastasia Zakharova (domra), Aleksandr Tarasov (accordion), Ivan Vinogradov (balalaika-contrabasso).

Excerpts from article by Martin Slagter: The quartet of Russian Renaissance captivated the audience and jury on Thursday, May 4, inside Hill Auditorium to capture the second M-Prize chamber music competition. At $100,000, it is said to be the largest chamber music prize in the world. The competitions was organized by the University of Michigan’s School of Music, Theater & Dance.

They also will receive important performance opportunities. The winners are invited to teach at the school of music, theatre and dance at the University of Michigan 2017-18 School year.

Aside from the big money, what sets M-Prize apart from the crowd is the breadth of the music that is welcomed as part of the competition. In addition to the traditional winds and strings categories in both senior and junior divisions, there is an open category: a musical catch-all for ensembles that don’t fit cleanly into the more customary instrumental combinations.

Coming out firing behind a ferocious interplay between the strings of a balalaika, performed by Ivan Kuznetsov, and domra from Anastasia Zakharova, Russian Renaissance executed with speed and precision, garnering loud applause following their 25-minute performance. They were joined by Aleksandr Tarasov on accordion and Ivan Vinogradov on balalaika-contrabasso.

Russian Renaissance competed for the $100,000 grand prize with senior strings division winner, the Argus Quartet and senior winds division winner the Donald Sinta Quartet.

The ensemble, Russian Renaissance, debuted in October 2015, performing with world-renowned director Emir Kusturica, two-time laureate of the Cannes Film Festival and the No Smoking Orchestra.

In Russia, the ensemble has performed in Tchaikovsky Concert Hall and Gnesins’ Academy Concert Hall in Moscow; Yota Space concert hub in St. Petersburg; and the Youth Theatre in Rostov-on-Don. In Serbia, they have performed in the National Theatre of Uzice and the Concert Hall of the Russian House in Belgrade.

The group describes their style as bringing together tradition and modernity in unique crossover and fusion styles.

The M-Prize competition, hosted by UM’s School of Music, Theatre & Dance, received attention during its inaugural running last spring for its format and large cash prize offerings, with the Calidore String Quartet taking home the $100,000 Grand Prize.

The international jury included former New York Philharmonic concertmaster Rodney Friend, Juilliard String Quartet cellist Astrid Schween, Swiss saxophonist Lars Mlekusch, renowned flautist Carol Wincenc, multigenre cellist Jeffrey Zeigler and Grammy Award-winning soprano Dawn Upshaw.

In addition to the grand prize, three $20,000 prizes are awarded to winners of three different categories of strings, winds and open competition, as well as junior strings and winds categories for ages 18 and under.

For further information: kuzvan@gmail.com