“The Tsar of Guitar” – that’s what French Universe Guitare dubbed Artyom Dervoed, a classic guitar virtuoso from Russia. The charismatic musician inspires compositors to keep writing innovative music for guitar, an instrument seemingly familiar, yet still unknown. Dervoed’s vast repertoire includes 32 concerts for guitar and orchestra, and embraces chamber and solo pieces for guitar from Renaissance till our century. 

New Russian Quartet was founded in 2008. The name implies a certain revolutionary approach to guitar music, rather that eternal “novelty” of the band itself. So, besides Haydn, Mozart, Beethoven, Schubert, Brahms, Shostakovich, Stravinsky, and Schnittke, the Quartet is the first to play brand new pieces by our contemporaries – Schedrin, Kapustin, Bosso, Kramer, Adams. The Quartet’s cellist, Alexey Steblyov, contributes for the repertoire, too. There are probably few reasons for Artyom Dervoed and New Russian Quartet to meet on one stage, that is: their constant creative search, vast repertoire, and their world wide recognized virtuosity.

Musicians of the Quartet play ancient instruments built by Italian masters Panormo, Goffriller, Amati, and Roggeri, courtesy of the State Collection of Unique Musical Instruments of the Russian Federation. Artyom Dervoed plays D’Аddario strings; he’s the first Russian glassic guitar player to become an endorser of Yamaha Music Russia.