Biography
Gennady NIKONOV (trumpet, vocals) is a graduate of the St. Petersburg Rimsky–Korsakov State Conservatory and graduate school, a virtuoso trumpeter, romantic musician, philosopher musician, a bright representative of the Russian school of trumpet playing with excellent musical taste and individual manner of performing skills.
He is a laureate of All-Union, All-Russian and International brass instrument competitions.
In 2003, the world-famous musical instrument manufacturing company Yamaha presented Gennady Nikonov with its best instrument and made him an artist representative of its company in Russia.
Gennady Nikonov's solo career began in the 1990s. Since 1998, he has been working as a soloist with the Mariinsky Symphony Orchestra, with which he has performed in the largest concert halls in the world.
Nikonov's musical brand, which defines his performance style, is the romantic trumpet.
"Can a trumpet be romantic? – you ask, – it sounds solemn and loud!". Gennady Nikonov proves with his playing – yes, the trumpet can be romantic, moreover, he proves that you can sing on this instrument. It is the special vocal technique that allows this wonderful trumpeter to play soulfully, sincerely, tenderly and subtly. But our surprise does not end there... it seems that the phrase "a talented person is talented in everything" was invented specifically about him.
Gennady Nikonov is the owner of a unique, rare countertenor voice. In his work, he constantly experiments with the repertoire, performing famous opera arias or Baroque music with his voice, entering into a musical dialogue with the trumpet, in which he is devotedly and selflessly in love. Listeners, of course, feel this and that's why his concerts are always a huge success.
Virtuoso technique of playing an instrument, breathtaking artistry, subtle musical taste and high culture of performance – the overall impression of the maestro's performance can be decomposed into such components.
His playing is admired by trumpeter experts themselves, they call it the brightest and even shocking, because it does not fit into the framework of existing ideas about the classical trumpet. Nikonov expands these limits, revives the culture of playing this instrument. In his work, he experiments with the repertoire, performing famous opera arias or Baroque music with voice and trumpet, entering into an exciting and extraordinarily beautiful musical dialogue.
