Balalaika is not the most fashionable and popular musical instrument, even in Russia, therefore virtuosos like Alexei Arkhipovsky attract huge attention. How was the musician's way? What is he famous for? What is worth listening to?
How it all began
Alexey Arkhipovsky was born in the south of Russia - in the city of Tuapse, on May 15, 1967. Music often played in the house, as my father played the harmonica and the accordion. He was able to instill the same love for creativity and his son. From an early age, Alexey knew the whole variety of Russian music. Arkhipovsky recalls his childhood with pleasure: the sea, the sun, the balalaika - what else is needed for happiness ?! At the age of nine, the boy comes to music school to master the traditional Russian instrument - the balalaika. His first teacher, Kulishova Evgenia Nikolaevna, says that the student was distinguished by unusual perseverance and hard work. During the first six months he had to painfully “rearrange” his hand through long exercises, but Lesha overcame all this. And by the time he finished school he was the winner of many music competitions, and by the end of his studies he gave his first full-fledged recital from two departments.
Later, Alexei Arkhipovsky enters the Department of Folk Instruments at the Music College. Gnesins. His teacher was a professor, people's artist of Russia, the famous balalaika player Valery Zazhigin. Learning was given to the student quite easily, he participated in various creative tests and even became a laureate of the All-Russian contest of folk instrument performers.
Years of work
A graduate of the school, Arkhipovsky found a job in the Russian folk orchestra under the direction of V.P. Dubrovsky in Smolensk. Here his musical experiments began. It was not enough for Arkhipovsky to play traditional music in the usual way; he was looking for opportunities to extract more diverse sounds from his favorite instrument. He polished his technique, found new expressive forms for balalaika.
After 9 years of working as a soloist of the orchestra, fate gives Alexei a chance to reach the next level - he is invited to the famous team led by Lyudmila Zykina, to the ensemble "Russia". At one of the concerts, he was instructed to keep the hall for 5 minutes, while the preparation of the next number was in progress. He started the audience so that he was not released for 20 minutes. So Arkhipovsky received the right to solo in the orchestra. With Russia he traveled to many countries and cities, made acquaintances, but felt that it was time to go on a solo voyage. The Stas Namin Center provided him with such an opportunity, and in 2002 Arkhipovsky began to work alone. He participated in a huge number of festivals, gained strength in a new style of modern music, combining fatal and ethnic motifs.
Deserved Glory
Since 2003, the musician has been affiliated with the Ethnosphere movement, and popularity is growing - his performances gather halls. Since 2007, the artist’s fame has been increasing, he has been participating in major projects: the Tarkovsky Film Festival, the opening of the 2009 Eurovision Song Contest, the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games in Vancouver (in the Russian House), international jazz, blues, ethnic and contemporary music festivals. The musician collaborated with famous musicians, for example, Dmitry Malikov.
The possibilities of the balalaika were endless, and this was proved by Alexei Arkhipovsky. The best of his legacy is improvisations on the theme of various musical material: folk, contemporary, classical. In 2011, Arkhipovsky was listed in the Guinness Book of Records as the world's best balalaika player.
Alexey Arkhipovsky: balalaika is the best tool
The musician lovingly talks about his instrument. He claims that his possibilities are inexhaustible, and every concert proves this with success. Arkhipovsky says that the balalaika is an extension of himself, it helps him think and feel. The musician’s works cannot be attributed to any one genre, they organically combine jazz, classical and modern styles, and they also read the fateful and pop beginnings. In addition, various national traditions, and not only Russian ones, are reflected in balalaika compositions. Alexei is called a virtuoso, often rightly compared to Paganini and Jimi Hendrix. He proves with his creativity that with great love, three strings are enough to touch the soul of the listener.
Creative achievements
Arkhipovsky calls his main success the acquisition of “his instrument” and the love of the audience. Many works for balalaika become real hits, the audience discovers the possibilities of this instrument, falls in love with it, and this is achieved by Alexey Arkhipovsky. “The way home”, “Lullaby”, “Cinderella”, “Charm” - these compositions enchant the listener, immerse them in the special world of instrumental music. Today Arkhipovsky is a very popular artist, his solo concerts gather full halls in many countries of the world. His program "Insomnia" consists of his own works, created as a new reading of a huge number of different musical compositions.