ABOUT Shamray, Khisambeev, Moore, Faskhi
PROKOFIEV + TANEYEV

8PM TUESDAY 6TH DECEMBER 2022

Konstantin Shamray, piano
Tair Khisambeev, violin
Christopher Moore, viola
Elina Faskhi, cello

PROGRAM

Sergei PROKOFIEV Violin Sonata No.1 in F minor, Op.80

Sergei TANEYEV Piano Quartet in E major, Op.20

ABOUT THE PERFORMERS

KONSTANTIN SHAMRAY, PIANO

Described as an exhilarating performer with faultless technique and fearless command of the piano, Australian-based Russian pianist Konstantin Shamray enjoys performing on an international level with the world’s leading orchestras and concert presenters. Konstantin was born in Novosibirsk and commenced his studies at the age of six with Natalia Knobloch. He then studied in Moscow at the Russian Gnessin Academy of Music with Professors Tatiana Zelikman and Vladimir Tropp, and the Hochschule fur Musik in Freiburg, Germany with Professor Tibor Szasz. In 2008, Konstantin burst onto the concert scene when he won First Prize at the Sydney International Piano Competition. He is the first and only competitor to date in the 40 years of the competition to win both First and People’s Choice Prizes, in addition to six other prizes. He then went on to win First Prize at the 2011 Klavier Olympiade in Bad Kissingen, Germany and has performed at the Kissinger Sommer festival. In July 2013, following chamber recitals with Alban Gerhardt and Feng Ning, he was awarded the festival’s coveted Luitpold Prize for “outstanding musical achievements”.

Since then, Konstantin performs extensively throughout the world. In Australia, highlights include engagements with the Adelaide Symphony, West Australia, Melbourne and Sydney Symphony orchestras. Outside of Australia he has performed with the Russian National Philharmonic, the Mariinsky Theatre Orchestra, Moscow Virtuosi, Orchestre National de Lyon, Prague Philharmonia, Belgrade Philharmonic Orchestra and the Calgary Philharmonic among others. He has enjoyed collaborating with distinguished conductors such as Vladimir Spivakov, Dmitry Liss, Tugan Sokhiev, Nicholas Milton and Alexandr Vedernikov. Chamber music plays a strong role in Konstantin’s musical career and collaborations have included tours with the Australian String Quartet, the Australia Piano Quartet, Kristof Barati, Andreas Brantelid, Li Wei Qin and Leonard Elschenbroich.

Konstantin has performed as part of the International Piano Series in Adelaide, and at the Melbourne Recital Centre and Ukaria Cultural Centre. He has enjoyed critical acclaim at the Klavier-Festival Ruhr, the Bochum Festival in Germany, the Mariinsky International Piano Festival and the White Nights Festival in St. Petersburg, Adelaide Festival, Musica Viva Sydney and Huntington festivals. Recent engagements include the FOFO Festival with the Adelaide Symphony Orchestra, solo recitals with both the Harris and Medici International Piano Series, concertos with Queensland and Adelaide Symphony Orchestras, and a residency with Southern Cross Soloists. Konstantin has recorded albums with the labels Naxos, ABC Classics and Fonoforum. Konstantin is Lecturer in Piano at the Elder Conservatorium of Music at the University of Adelaide, and was awarded his PhD in 2020 for his performance-based project ‘The piano as Kolokola, Glocken and Cloches: performing and extending the European traditions of bell-inspired piano music’.

TAIR KHISAMBEEV, VIOLIN

Having a passion for travel, Tair has worked as an orchestral musician in many different countries, exploring the diversity of the world’s cultures and the performing arts inherent in every place he visited. Before he finally found his zen in Melbourne, he graduated from the Moscow Conservatory, worked several years in Russia, a few years in Japan, tried the rhythm of orchestras of England and Finland and took part in numerous festivals and competitions, both as a soloist and chamber musician. A special place in Tair’s heart belongs to chamber music. In 2010 he helped found a piano quintet, which under his leadership travelled and performed throughout Russia and Europe for six years. Tair is happy that he found so many like-minded chamber music lovers among Melbourne musicians. From his beginnings at the Russian State Symphony Orchestra until now, Tair has been through it all with his wife and a great cellist Elina. Now they have dropped their anchor in Melbourne with confidence, rushing into the cultural beat of the city. So far no kangaroos have been injured on the road.

CHRISTOPHER MOORE, VIOLA

Christopher studied piano and violin before he discovered his passion lay in the rich harmonic and rhythmic complexities of the inner voices – so he bought a viola and the rest is history. After ten years as Principal Viola of the Australian Chamber Orchestra, he is now Principal Viola of the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra and is in high demand as a soloist and chamber musician in Australia and abroad. He currently holds the position of Creative Producer of Melbourne Symphony’s chamber music programs, including the conductor-free Melbourne Recital Centre concerts. His musical home is often filled with the sounds of his talented family who all play instruments and sing. Christopher also plays Theremin. If you don’t know what that is, just ask him. Christopher is fortunate enough to play on a 1610 Giovanni Paolo Maggini viola - kindly on loan from an anonymous benefactor. He also owns a wonderful 1937 Arthur E. Smith which isn’t for sale, but you could borrow it if you promise to look after it.

ELINA FASKHI, CELLO

Born in Ufa, Russia, into a family of musicians, Elina Faskhi began to play the violin at the age of 7, and began playing cello at the age of 10 at the Special Music School. In 2006 she continued her studies at the Moscow Central Music School and then at the Moscow State Tchaikovsky Conservatory with Prof. Igor Gavrysh, Prof. Irina Kandinskaya and Vladimir Balshin (Borodin Quartet). In 2011 she became a member of the State Academic Symphony Orchestra of Russia "Evgeny Svetlanov" under the artistic director of Vladimir Jurowsky, where she worked for five years. After completing her postgraduate studies as a chamber musician, she received a position as a vorspieler at the Hyogo Performing Art Center Orchestra in Japan, where she spent 3 years. Elina has lived and worked in Melbourne since 2019.

Elina is a winner of many international and national competitions: Knushevitsky International Cello Competition, Sergey Prokofiev chamber music competition, Leopold and Mstislav Rostropovich violin and cello competition, and the "Magic Bow" competition. She has received scholarships from foundations such as The Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Bashkortostan and Russian Federation and the Vladimir Spivakov International Foundation. Elina performs in some of the most prestigious halls in Russia, throughout Europe and Japan. She has appeared as a soloist with the Tokyo Philharmonic Orchestra, Yaroslavl Philharmonic Symphony Orchestra, Saratov Philharmonic Orchestra and Izhevsk State Symphony Orchestra. She has benefited from the excellent guidance of masters such as Wolfgang Emmanuel Schmidt, Ivan Monighetti, Antonio Meneses and Wen-Sinn Yang.