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Cellos

Alexey Zhilin

In the orchestra since 2011

Alexey Zhilin was proclaimed “A Superb Russian” by the Austrian press after a historic “double” victory in Johannes Brahms Competition (2018), where he took two first prizes.

A Superb Russian – a passionate, masterful and profound musician, representing Russian cello school in its highest degree.

It’s a rare if not a unique case nowadays when a musician, who was educated solely in Russia, more than that, in one city and by one teacher, earned international acclaim.

Alexey Zhilin (born in Leningrad in 1987) is one of the last disciples of an outstanding professor from St. Petersburg – Anatolii Nikitin. Alexey won in more than fifteen international competitions, he was also the first Russian winner of XXXVIII Dr. Luis Sigall International Music Competition (Chile). He later took the second place in one of the most prestigious competitions among cellists – Isang Yun competition (South Korea), which is the greatest achievement of the Russian cellists during the history of the competition.

The Belgian press compared the sound of his cello to the voices of great opera singers, calling it “mesmerizing” during the first in history Queen Elizabeth International cello competition in Brussels.

At present, the musician tours in: Austria, Belgium, Germany, France, Switzerland, Sweden, Denmark, The Netherlands, South Korea, Japan. However, he pays great attention to concerts in Russia, considering them his mission as a Russian musician.

Alexey Zhilin has toured in Russia from Kamchatka to Murmansk both with solo concertos and as a part of well-known David Oistrakh string quartet (has been playing there since its foundation).

He has been teaching at Saint Petersburg Conservatory at the cello department since 2014, following in the footsteps of his teacher A.P. Nikitin. He regularly gives master-classes in Russia, Europe and Asia.

His repertoire includes a great part of the legacy of cello music together with a line of rare compositions, which can pleasantly surprise even the most exacting audience (A.P. Borodin cello sonata, M. Weinberg’s Fantasia for cello and orchestra, preludes for solo cello etc.).

His repertoire also includes a substantial amount of contemporary music as he actively cooperates with modern composers. He performed Russian premieres of the compositions of Philippe Hersant, Isang Yun, Boris Tishchenko.

Alexey Zhilin cooperates with such musicians as Eliso Virsaladze, Teodor Currentzis, Kent Nagano and many others.

WHO IS YOUR MOST IMPORTANT SPECTATOR IN THE AUDIENCE?
When my father was alive, he was my most important spectator: I played for him. Now, it means a lot to me if my mother, my wife or my son are among the audience. Of course, when we perform together with Teodor, he is the most demanding and attentive listener. Even when he hears hundreds of voices at once, he manages to identify every single one.
DO YOU OFTEN ATTEND OTHER ORCHESTRAS’ CONCERTS? WHAT CONCERT HAS IMPRESSED YOU THE MOST RECENTLY?
No, not that often. I simply have no spare time to do that. For me to attend someone else’s concert, it should be truly special. Gautier Capuçon, a French cellist, probably performed the most impressive concert out of those I have seen lately. He played Prokofiev’s music, which sounded truly powerful.
DO YOU LISTEN BACK TO MUSICAETERNA RECORDINGS?
Yes, with pleasure. Many musicians prefer not to listen to their own recordings; many directors do not watch their own movies. Perhaps they are not sure of the end result. It is not easy to be completely honest with yourself. Admitting your mistakes is hard — but admitting their absence is even harder. You will always evaluate yourself lower than you should. Out of all our recordings so far, the final movement of Mahler’s Symphony No.3 is my favourite.
DO YOU HAVE A LIFE-LONG DREAM?
I am always eager to learn. I reckon it would be nice to master a profession that is completely unrelated to my current one — say, construction or cooking. Speaking of music, I would like to learn to play the trombone. The cello has a beautiful, warm, lively, noble sound — but it does not really stand out when played in an orchestra. I guess I am subconsciously drawn towards a louder instrument to make up for that.

musicAeterna orchestra events

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Pyotr Tchaikovsky (1840–1893)

Francesca da Rimini
Symphonic fantasy after Dante, Op. 32 (1876)

Capriccio Italien
A fantasy for orchestra, Op. 45 (1880)

Romeo and Juliet
An overture-fantasy after Shakespeare, TH 42 (1869–1880)

musicAeterna Orchestra
Conductor — Teodor Currentzis

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Pyotr Tchaikovsky (1840–1893)

Francesca da Rimini,
Symphonic Fantasy after Dante, Op. 32 (1876)

Capriccio Italien
on folk tunes for orchestra, Op. 45 (1880)

Romeo and Juliet,
Overture-Fantasy after Shakespeare, TH 42 (1869–1880)

musicAeterna Orchestra
Conductor — Teodor Currentzis

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Richard Wagner (1813 – 1883)

Vorspiel to the opera Parsifal (1882)
Overture to the opera Tannhäuser (1843–1845)
Vorspiel und Liebestod from the opera Tristan und Isolde (1857–1859)
Vorspiel to the opera Lohengrin (1845–1848)
Overture to the opera Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg (1868)

musicAeterna Orchestra
Conductor Teodor Currentzis

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Antonín Dvořák (1841–1904)
Cello Concerto in B Minor, Op. 104, B. 191 (1894–1895)
Allegro
Adagio ma non troppo
Finale. Allegro moderato

Symphony No. 8 in G Major, Op. 88, B. 163 (1889)
Allegro con brio
Adagio
Allegretto grazioso
Molto Vivace
Allegro ma non troppo

The musicAeterna Orchestra
Soloist Alexey Zhilin
Conductor Alexander Sladkovsky

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Jean-Philippe Rameau (1683–1764)
The thunderstorm scene from Act II of the opera-ballet Platée ou Junon jalouse (1745)
Act IV, Scene 4: Entry of the muse Polyhymnia from the lyrical tragedy Abaris ou les Boreades (1763)
Tambourines I, II from the prologue to the lyrical tragedy Dardanus (1739)

Antonio Lotti (1667–1740)
Crucifixus a 8 voci from Credo in F Major (before 1717)

Antonio Vivaldi (1678–1741)
Concerto for Cello and Strings in C Minor, RV 401 (late 1720s)

  1. Allegro non molto
  2. Adagio
  3. Allegro ma non molto

The soloist Rabbani Aldangor

George Frideric Handel (1685–1759)
Ombra mai fu (There was never a shadow), aria of Xerxes from Act I of the opera Xerxes, HWV 40 (1738)
The soloist Andrey Nemzer, countertenor
Furie terribili! (Terrible Furies!), aria of Armida from Act I of the opera Rinaldo, HWV 7a (1711/1731)
The soloist Elizaveta Sveshnikova, soprano
Piangerò la sorte mia (I will mourn my fate), aria of Cleopatra from Act III of the opera Julius Caesar, HWV 17, (1724)
The soloist Elizaveta Sveshnikova, soprano
Venti, turbini (Winds, whirlwinds), aria of Rinaldo from Act I of the opera Rinaldo, HWV 7a (1711/1731)
The soloist Andrey Nemzer, countertenor

Johann Sebastian Bach (1685–1750)
Komm, Jesu, komm (Come, Jesus, come), motet for double choir in G minor, BWV 229 (before 1731–1732)
Lobet den Herrn, alle Heiden (Praise the Lord, all ye nations), motet for four-voice choir, dubbing instruments and basso continuo in C major, BWV 230 (n.d.)
Erbarme dich, mein Gott (Have mercy, my God), aria of the alto No. 39 (47) from the sacred oratorio St Matthew Passion, BWV 244 (1727–1729/1736)
Soloists:
Andrey Nemzer, countertenor
Vladislav Pesin, violin

George Frideric Handel
Lascia la spina, cogli la rosa (Leave the thorn, pluck the rose), aria of Pleasure from Act II of the oratorio The Triumph of Time and Disillusion, HWV 46a (1707)
Soloists:
Elizaveta Sveshnikova, soprano
Andrey Nemzer, countertenor

Jean-Philippe Rameau
Les Sauvages/Forêts paisibles (The Savages/Peaceful Forests) from Act IV of the opera-ballet The Gallant Indies, (1725/1736)

Duration: 60 minutes