"Clever members of the trade like the Ukrainian-Moldavian pianist Mikhail Alperin noticed this long ago and have defined the term "modern music" with the help of their genotype. Doubtless Jazz gives the basis for Alperin and his companions, the French horn virtuoso Arkady Shilkloper and the vocalist/clarinetist Sergey Starostin. But no one before has interlaced folklore and classical elements in blues format as consequent as the MOSCOW ART TRIO. When, in front of the NDR studio audience in Hamburg, the trio toungue-in-cheek tears down boundaries, it never seems artificially constructed but spontaneous, exciting and always somehow wise and clever. Their attack of minimalism, folk-tunes, yiddish elements, village gossip ("Talk for two") and impertinently retarding piano patterns at last blow fresh and spicy wind in the humdrum of European Jazz. It's about time!" The trio recorded several for JARO and are in the studio fall 2005 for a brandnew work to be rleased in 2006.
(JazzThing, January 1997)
ARKADY SHILKLOPER, a native of Moscow, born in 1956, began at the age of six playing brass instruments and studied fluegelhorn at the Moscow Military Music Academy until 1974. From 1978 to 1985 he was a member of the orchestra of the Bolshoi Theatre and the "Bolshoi Brass Quintet". With this world-famous ensemble and as a member of the Moscow Philharmonic Orchestra from 1985 to 1989 he undertook numerous world-wide concert tours.
Since the collapse of the former Soviet UnionARKADY SHILKLOPER has worked independently both as a solo performer and, since 1991, with Alperin and Starostin in the MOSCOW ART TRIO and in other formations. SHILKLOPER is in demand as a soloist and a teacher for brass instrument workshops and symposia the world over.
In the past few years he was invited to play with a number of renowned musicians, such as the Vienna Art Orchestra, Pierre Fauvre's Singing Dreams, or Luis Sclavis. Apart from his CD productions with Mikail Alperin, the MOSCOW ART TRIO and the participation in other formations, in 1997 he produced his first solo album entitled HORNOLOGY(BMR809016-2) and 2 more project s for horn followed. In 2005 he released "Presente Para Moscou" JARO 4264-2 with several guets as Dhafer Yuseef and others.
SERGEY STAROSTIN was born on January 1, 1956 in Moscow into a musical family from the south. His father was a good singer and harp player wheras his grandmother was the one to introduce him to Russian folk tales and songs. He received his first musical education in a boy's choir before studying clarinet at the Moscow Conservatory.
Quite early on he was interested in Russian folklore, particularly the rich traditions of Russian folk music, which he began to collect and study during travels. Since 1982 he has given seminars and performed as a vocalist and player of traditional wind instruments. In 1987 he started his own radio programme in the Russian broadcasting system introducing listeners to traditional music, and beginning in 1991 he directed a television programme on folk music in Moscow. As author and producer STAROSTIN realised the "World Village Show," a programme on world music for Russian television. Through his affinity to Russian music and the music of the Lapps, he became acquainted with Mary Boine with whom he has made recordings in Moscow and Oslo. In 1991 SERGEY STAROSTIN joined the Alperin/Shilkloper Duo to form the MOSCOW ART TRIO with which he has performed in Europe, USA, Africa and Japan as a singer and instrumentalist.
Starostin has worked with a great variety of groups and ensembles integrating folk elements in one way or another. Among them is the Russian dance and music ensemble Bilina, the folk quartet Slavichi, Bratchina, an ensemble staging folk operas and the a cappella group Kazachiy Club. Apart from his work with the MOSCOW ART TRIO he currently works with Russian Rock singer Inna Zhelanaya, the Eurasian Art Ensemble and a new Russian Jazz-Folk trio.
