The Moscow Art Trio is one of the most exciting new jazz formations. The boundaries between jazz, folk and classical music have become irrevelant. Or as critic Mike Zwerin wrote in the International Herald Tribune: ‘Rarely have the frontiers between epochs, Eastern and Western folk music, and jazz and classical music been so gracefully negotiated as by the Moscow Art Trio.’ ‘The personalities of the trio's members are more important than the instruments they play.’
Piano player Mikhail Alperin is the composer and guiding force of the trio. He has been living in Oslo since 1993 and has become a central figure when it comes to new improvised music of the far north. Horn player Arkady Shilkloper was a member of the Moscow Philharmonic Orchestra and has worked with the Bolshoi Theater orchestra. His unique ability to combine the different music languages makes him famous all over. Folksinger Sergey Starostin always showed great interest for folk tales and folk music, even while studying classical music. Whenever he travelled around the former Soviet Union he would collect stories, songs and traditional instruments. In Moscow Art Trio he is playing folk reeds and clarinet. He is also writing most of the lyrics.
The first performance of the trio has been on the 5th of june 1990 in Moscow. Since then Moscow Art Trio has been performing all over the world. They have produced many CD’s and cooperated with artists like Bulgarian Voices Angelite and Huun-Huur-Tu from Tuva.
‘Unlike other European groups who aim at a home-made, "poor theatre" type of music the Moscow Art Trio don't have to try to sound Post-Modern - they just are, and in a way that makes what they play, and the context of performance which underpins it, look and sound both utterly contemporary and timeless. Tarkovsky, no; Paradjanov (the Armenian director of The Colour of Pomegranates), yes. Once word gets out, they will be the band to book for every festival going.’ (The Indepedent, Phil Johnson)
All videos are pieces from the CD "Hamburg Concert" and the DVD "In Concert".
Discography
Hamburg Concert (1996) JARO 4238-2 / Moscow Art Trio, live concert Fly, Fly My Sadness (1997) JARO 4197-2 / Moscow Art Trio, Bulgarian Voices Angelite, Huun-Huur-Tu Mountain Tale (1998) JARO 4212-2 / Moscow Art Trio, Huun-Huur-Tu Music (1998) JARO 4214-2 / Moscow Art Trio Once Opon a Time (2001) JARO 4238-2 / Moscow Art Trio Instead of Making Children JARO (2006) 4274-2 / Moscow Art Trio Village Variations (2008) JARO 4290-2 / Moscow Art Trio & The Norwegian Chamber Orchestra
