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Happy New Year!!! （Irina Kulikova Classical Guitarist）

Happy New Year!!! （Irina Kulikova Classical Guitarist）

2012年01月09日(月) 0:48
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Irina Kulikova（イリーナ・クリコヴァ、ロシア生まれの女性ギタリスト）が、今年もオランダから新年のご挨拶を贈ってくれました。どうも、ありがとう。新年あけましておめでとう！（Masao Kato, guitarist）

Happy New Year!!!
Wishing you love, good health and a great flow of inspiration for 2012!
When you meet someone special, make the best of that moment.
You never know what it can bring for the future.
Irina Kulikova

Irina Kulikova Classical Guitarist
Newsletter January 2012

Duo Kulikova – Gallardo del Rey
A precious little story. At the age of 11, Irina Kulikova embarked on a train in Chelyabinsk, South-Ural, together with her mother and an old Russian guitar. Ready for a three day’s train trip to the guitar festival and competition of Voronezh. An event that would turn out to make all the difference for her development as a musician.

One of the jury members of the competition in Voronezh was the great Spanish guitarist and composer José María Gallardo del Rey. He was amazed by the playing of the little girl that was awarded the 1st prize. ‘When you close your eyes, it is like you hear a grown up play. Irina truly is a musician’, he said in an interview. Today, he still remembers how he felt when he heard her play the first time. As much as Irina still remembers how she felt when she heard the Spanish master play his concert that same week.

One year later, Irina made the same trip to Voronezh, as she was invited to play a laureate concert. She had no idea what surprise was waiting there for her: Gallardo del Rey had brought her a handmade Spanish guitar by Manuel Contreras, to replace her old Russian guitar. He strongly felt that this little girl needed a better instrument to develop her rare musical skills. And indeed, it was on this instrument that Irina spent countless hours to discover the dazzling potential of the classical guitar.

Years past by. Irina completed her master studies in Moscow, Salzburg and Maastricht, celebrated a large array of prizes and found herself adrift in a sea of acclaim from music lovers all over the world. But no matter how much she would have loved to share all these experiences with this special person that had surprised her with a new guitar, it was impossible to get through his management to leave a message.

Until the very beginning of 2011. New Year’s wishes still were sparkling in the air, when Irina got this long anticipated reply from Spain. Truly a touch of magic: a ‘Happy New Year’ from José María.

Nine months later, there was a beautiful reunion in Valencia, Spain. José María and Irina picked up the guitar, and in the most natural way, the ideas for a duo project started flowing.

So many years ago, at the very first notes they recognized in eachother’s playing the essence they find in music. Then there was a long silence. But no matter how long the interval: once souls are connected in music, there will always be a future.

José María Gallardo del Rey and Irina Kulikova,
with Robert Vidal (l), Voronezh, 1994

José María Gallardo del Rey and Irina Kulikova,
Brussels, 2011

Listen on Youtube:
Ojos Verdes
Placido Domingo and José María Gallardo del Rey

Listen on Youtube:
Gallardo del Rey’s ‘California Suite’
performed by Irina Kulikova

Return to West Dean
Some say that we move through life in circles, spiraling upwards ‘in a dynamic movement towards the whole’. And that if we go through similar experiences for the second time, we may find ourselves in the opening bars of the next level of our development. If this is true, then 2011 certainly announced something special for Irina Kulikova: next to the reunion with José María Gallardo del Rey, she also returned to the international festival of West Dean.

Irina first visited the gracious and historic setting of West Dean at the age of 14. She impressed audience and organizers with a short student concert. One year later, in 1997, she was invited to play a full concert at the festival.

In August 2011, Irina was once again guest, to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the festival, together with David Russell and Carlos Bonell. It was a warm reunion with many old friends, that were already present at the first concert in 1997. The intimate atmosphere in the St. Andrew’s Church inspired to a wonderful concert.

Listen on Youtube:
El Marabino by Antonio Lauro

Listen on Youtube:
J.S. Bach – Cello Suite 1, Allemande

Back to the roots: Russian recording for Naxos
To complete the beginning of a new circle: 2011 also marked a return to Russia for Irina Kulikova. With her first appearance in the Tchaikovsky hall in Moscow at the ‘Guitar Virtuosos Festival’, an extensive interview in the Russian Classical Guitar Magazine and a performance as special guest at the guitar festval of Chelyabinsk, city of birth.

The follow up on this return to the roots will be a Naxos CD with a beautiful, romantic program of contemporary Russian composers. Recording will be in November 2012, in Canada. It will be the third co-creation of Irina Kulikova and Naxos’ producer Norbert Kraft.

In 2013 and 2014, Irina will go on tour in Europe, North-America and Asia with this special Russian program.

Listen on Youtube:
Sonatina for Guitar & Orchestra
by Moreno Torroba
With the State Symphony Orchestra “New Russia”
in the Tchaikovsky Hall in Moscow.
Guest conductor: Cesario Costa (Portugal).

First concert tour in China
Ever since she was 11, Irina Kulikova has toured far afield for concerts. But surprisingly, never once she went eastwards of Chelyabinsk, her city of birth. The wind always blew her to the west. Until October 2011, when she flew from The Netherlands straight over Chelyabinsk to go to China.

It was a fantastic adventure. Five concerts in six days, travelling large distances by plane and by train. With a marvellous climax in the Shanghai Oriental Arts Center. All perfectly organized by the Chinese hosts.

China is a wonderful country, with overwhelming hospitality and great admiration for the classical guitar. To be continued…

Youtube tip
A little present to conclude this newsletter: the lovely Adagio op.44 (Omaggio a J.S. Bach) by Gerard Drozd. Beautifully filmed at the International Gliwice Guitar Festival in Poland, November 2011.

Listen on Youtube:
Adagio op.44 by Gerard Drozd

Contact
Wouter Fellendans
www.irinakulikova.com

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