Sonatas for Cello & Piano

"This is one of those delightful surprises that one can instantly love. It also underscores yet again the fact that fame is no prerequisite for (or guarantee of) top-notch performances. Andrianov and Urasin are as one in these sonatas, playing with immense skill, delicacy of touch and, especially in the Rachmaninov, plenty of heart."
EDITOR'S CHOICE, Gramophone Magazine

BORIS ANDRIANOV is one of the most gifted Russian musicians of his generation. He has gained his reputation thanks to his successful performances at: the XIth International Tchaikovsky Competition (Moscow, 1998) where he won third prize and a bronze medal; the International Antonio Janigro Cello Competition (Zagreb, Croatia) - where he won first prize and all the special prizes. Andrianov's talent has been recognized by well-known musicians, such as Mstislav Rostropovich and Daniil Shafran who said:

"Boris Andrianov is probably one of the most talented cellists of Russia at present." In 1997 Boris was the first Russian cellist to become a laureate at the VIth International Rostropovich competition in Paris.

Boris Andrianov was born in 1976 into a family of musicians. He studied at the Moscow Gnessins music school under the tutelage of professor V. Birina. Boris studied further in the class of professor N. Schachovskaya. At present he is studying under the tutelage of a famous cellist David Geringas at the Music School of Hans Eisler in Berlin.

As a boy of 16 he became a laureate at the First Tchaikovsky Competition for young musicians, and at 17 he won the Grand Prix at an International competition in South Africa.

In 1991 Boris was selected as a "New Names" artist and was granted an stipend. Together with other New Names musicians Boris toured Russia and the world. He has performed to Pope John Paul II at the Vatican, in Saint James' Palace in London and for the UNO in Geneva. Together with the pianist A. Goribol, Boris Andrianov became the laureate of the First International competition of D. Shostakovich (Hanover, Germany) in May, 1997. In 2003 he become a laureate of first Isang Yun Cello Competition (Korea). Boris has participated in many international festivals such as Swedish Royal festival, the Festival of A. Sacharoy in Nizhnij Novgorod, Cervo Festival (Italy), Barroc Evenings, Varazhdin (Croatia), Dubrovnik Music Festival, Ludwigsburg Music Festival, Davos Music Festival, Rheingau Music Festival and the Colmar Music Festival.

Boris has the most complex and varied concert repertoire. He performs with symphony and chamber orchestras, such as the French National Orchestra, Mariinsky Theatre Orchestra, Beethoven Orchestra Bonn Lithuanian Chamber Orchestra, Croatian Philharmonic Orchestra, Slovenian Philharmonic Orchestra, Zagreb Soloist Orchestra, Russian State Orchestra, Russian National Orchestra, Polish Chamber Orchestra, Vienna Chamber Orchestra, Orchestra di Padova e del Veneto, Oleg Lundstrem Jazz Band. He has performed with the following conductors V.Gergiev, V.Fedoseev, M.Gorenstein, P.Kogan, A.Vedernikov, D.Geringas. In 2003 Boris performed with D. Geringas and T. Vassilyeva the Triple Concerto by K. Penderezly conducted by author. Boris Andrianov performs a lot of chamber music with such partners as Yuri Bashmet, Menahem Pressler and Akiko Suwanai.

After Boris had performed the Concert by Boccherini in the Berlin Philharmonie with the orchestra conducted by D. Geringas the newspaper "Berliner Tagesspiegel" published an article called "A Young God" on the 29th of April, 2001: "The young Russian student of the Hans Eisler Hochschule plays like a god: with heartbreaking, beautiful, softly-vibrating Belcanto-tone and masterly noblesse he turns an almost harmless Boccherini concerto into a small wonder of grace and discrete melancholy."

In 2002 DELOS Record Label released his CD with music for cello and guitar (D. Illarionov). This recording was at the preliminary list for Grammy Award nomination. Boris played concerts in Russia (in The Big and the Small Halls of the Moscow Conservatory, Moscow Philharmony Hall, Petersburg Philharmony), in Holland (Concertgebeow), in Japan (Tokyo Opera City), Germany (Berliner Philharmonie, Alter Opera),Austria (Wiener Konzert Haus), Switzerland, USA, Slovakia, Slovenia, Italy, France, South Africa and others.

In September 2006 Boris Andrianov played concerts in Grozny (Chechen Republic). These were first classical music concerts in Republic since the beginning of the war.

In 1995 he became a laureate of the International Charity program "New Names" and in 1996 his name was inscribed in "The Golden Book of New Names of the Planet from the 20th to 21st century" by B. Eltzin.

Since 2005 Boris has played a Montagnana cello from Russian State Collection.

REM URASIN began his musical studies at the age of five at the Secondary Special Music School under the Kazan State Conservatory with Marina Soukharenko. At the age of eight he gave his first performance with a symphony orchestra and when he was thirteen he gave his first solo recital. In 1992 he became the first prize winner at the First Chopin International Piano Competition for Young Pianists in Moscow.

In 1994 he entered the Moscow State Tchaikovsky Conservatory where he studied with the famous Russian teacher Prof. Lev Naumov. During his studies he became a prizewinner in a number of the international competitions including the 13th International Chopin Piano Competition (Warsaw,1995) and Monte Carlo Piano Masters (Monaco,2001).

In 2004 he was awarded second prize and five special prizes (including People's Choice Prize and the ABC Classic FM Listeners Prize) at the Eighth Sydney International Piano Competition in Australia.

He has given recitals in many countries including Germany, France, Switzerland, Austria, Italy, Poland, Czech Republic, China, Taiwan and Japan. He has performed in such prestigious concert halls as the Great and Small Halls of the Moscow Conservatory, Salle Gaveau in Paris, Izumi Hall in Osaka, Beijing Concert Hall, Sydney Opera House and Sydney City Recital Hall. He has performed with many symphony orchestras and has recorded several CDs.