The blind musician gave up fame for the sake of money for the family. On music as a way of life

Oleg Borisovich Akkuratov (October 21 (1989-10-21 ) , city of Yeysk, RSFSR, USSR - Russian pianist, jazz improviser and singer. From birth, the musician suffers from amaurosis - complete blindness.

Biography

As a member of the UNESCO World Combined Choir, he took part in the world premiere of the international charity event "Thousands of Cities of the World", performed at the residence of the Pope.

Oleg Akkuratov has outstanding musical abilities: absolute pitch, musical memory, sense of rhythm. Virtuoso playing jazz classical works. Can sing in English and German, having learned this on his own by listening to songs on an audio player. Hearing a melody, for example, on the radio, he can play it on the piano from memory. He loves poetry and knows many poems by heart.

Since 2013, Oleg Akkuratov has been working closely with People's Artist Russia Igor Butman. As part of the Igor Butman Quartet and the Moscow Jazz Orchestra, Oleg toured Latvia, Israel, the Netherlands, Italy, India, the USA and Canada.

In 2013, Oleg Akkuratov became a real sensation at the Triumph Jazz festival.

In May of the same year, Oleg, along with double bassist Kate Davis, drummer Mark Whitfield and saxophonist Francesco Cafiso, became a member of international project Igor Butman "The Future of Jazz", which he performed at festivals " cherry forest"in Moscow and" Aquajazz. Sochi Jazz Festival" in Sochi.

In 2014, he performed at the closing ceremony of the Paralympic Games in Sochi.

In April 2015, at the invitation of Wynton Marsalis, Oleg performed at the Rose Hall of New York's Lincoln Center with the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra.

In April 2016, Butman Music Records released the pianist's debut album Golden Sunray, recorded with the Igor Butman Quartet.

On February 1, 2017 in the Svetlanov Hall of the Moscow International House of Music Oleg's first Big solo concert took place with the participation of Igor Butman and special guests

Competitions and awards

About him

Oleg Akkuratov- a phenomenally gifted blind musician from Krasnodar Territory. He impressed with his talent Ludmila Gurchenko and Montserrat Caballe, and now, as part of the Igor Butman Quartet and the Moscow Jazz Orchestra, he regularly performs on tour in the most different corners planets. On the Day of Russia, June 12, a virtuoso pianist with solo concert will take the stage Great Hall Moscow Conservatory.

Oleg told the correspondent of AiF.ru about a large-scale concert, work with Igor Butman and love for music.

Daria Ostasheva, AiF. en: Oleg, you will perform solo on the stage of the Great Hall of the Moscow Conservatory. Many musicians dream about it all their lives, but how do you feel?

Oleg Akkuratov: I feel something very good. I think that a wonderful audience will gather at the concert. We have prepared a rich program: the twenty-first sonata will be performed in the first part Beethoven, nocturne and polonaise Chopin, "June" Tchaikovsky from the cycle "Seasons" and " Hungarian Rhapsody» Liszt. In the second - together with the Moscow Jazz Orchestra of Igor Butman there will be a concert for piano and orchestra famous composer George Gershwin.

- You perform both classical and jazz music. Which direction do you prefer?

I love playing classical as much as jazz. For me, these are two facets of the same art. I feel equally free in both directions and do not want to part with either of them.

– Only this year you graduated from the graduate school of the Rostov State Conservatory named after S. V. Rachmaninov, but you have been performing at big stage. Tell me, what else do you dream about? What are your plans now?

- My future plans- tour, give concerts, both solo and with an ensemble. There is no special dream, because everything comes true here and now. And the most important thing for me is to play and remain a musician.

- It really comes true, because at the age of 27 you have already managed to perform on the same stage with such stars as Montserrat Caballe, Evelyn Glennie ... And what meeting did you remember the most and, maybe, changed something in your life?

“That was one of the events that I remember the most. But the most fateful meeting in my life on this moment is an acquaintance with Igor Butman. Igor is an amazing saxophonist and a person with whom it is always interesting to work. It was thanks to him that I visited many countries, got a tremendous experience of playing with the orchestra, its team.

— I know that over the past few years, as part of the Igor Butman Quartet and the Moscow Jazz Orchestra, you have performed on tour in Canada, China, Israel, India, Latvia, and even made several tours in the United States. Tell us how you are received by a foreign audience.

- Both in Russia and abroad, the public receives us very warmly. But in the USA, for example, where jazz is more popular, the audience even get up from their seats, dance, sing along and applaud especially vigorously.

"Music is my life"

- Lyudmila Gurchenko also noticed you and even dedicated her directorial debut to you: the film "Motley Twilight". Tell me, did you look for a meeting with her or did the prima once find you herself?

- She approached me quite unexpectedly during dinner and said: “Hello, my dear, hello, my dear ... And let's sing“ Silence behind the Rogozhskaya Zastava ”?” (subsequently it was the song with which we began to work with her).

Then Lyudmila Markovna decided to make the film "Motley Twilight" about a blind musician. But it could rather be called fiction than documentary work, that is, I was only the prototype of the protagonist. For example, I am not from Voronezh, unlike the hero of the film. He did not study in Toronto and New Jersey, but he studied in Moscow, Armavir, Rostov.

- In "Colorful Twilight" a hero named Oleg Akkuratov played professional actor Dmitry Kubasov. And you yourself did not want to fulfill leading role?

No, I didn't even have that thought. In this film, I sang songs, played musical works, that was my role.

— What does music mean to you? What do you feel when you play?

“Music is my language. This is my soul, this is my freedom, this is everything I live by, everything I feel. When I play, I try to convey this or that state that the composers put into this music. Everything, of course, depends on the work: if it is Beethoven, then this is one character, if Tchaikovsky is completely different. My task is precisely to feel everything that is laid down by the authors.

If you still do not know such a name as , then now you can get to know him better and just be proud that such rare talents are born in our country.

Why a phenomenal pianist?

The fact is that Oleg was born a blind child and was, so to speak, "deprived" of all the sensations associated with visual perception peace. However, in return for his sight, he got absolute pitch, musical memory and a great sense of rhythm. From childhood, he showed a special love for music and at the age of four he played the melodies he heard on the piano for the first time. From here began his confident rise to the Olympus of glory.

By the age of six, Oleg was taken to a specialized music school for blind and visually impaired children. However, she was at the boarding school, where he moved. There he was taught to read music in Braille.

To date, Oleg Akkuratov is considered a virtuoso in his field. He became the winner of many competitions, both state and international. He even performed at the same venue with Montserrat Caballe, at the residence of the Pope. And showed himself to many others musical projects. Today his name is more called as a jazz star.

But it still stands out, I think, with completely different qualities. Although he has many abilities that he most likely acquired in past incarnations, he is primarily distinguished by a great desire to "be and live." Perseverance and endurance, willpower and confidence, firmness and discipline - made him what he is now. Namely famous pianist, albeit blind, from this his talent and skill only increases.

His example shows us that, despite the physical and external circumstances (he actually grew up with his grandparents), you can remain not just a Human with capital letter but also strive to achieve your goal. He boldly went forward towards his dream. He used all the opportunities that the Universe gave him and showed that

Oleg Akkuratov, whose biography will be told in this article, is a young pianist, virtuoso, laureate of prestigious competitions and festivals. The ingenious musician is blind from birth, was brought up in a boarding school.

Biography

Oleg Akkuratov was born in Krasnodar Territory, in the village of Morevka, in 1989. He was raised by his grandparents, his mother was only fifteen years old. The pianist was born blind. Musical ability began to appear in the boy at the age of 4 years. His grandmother took him to an audition in Armavir, the only music boarding school in Russia for visually impaired and blind children. He was accepted there to study, and the boy left home. In Armavir, Oleg learned musical notation in Braille. At the age of 6, he already played the first concerto by P. I. Tchaikovsky, which he learned by ear from a record. Then he won his first victory in the competition. In 2008 Oleg graduated from the Moscow College of Music pop-jazz art and entered the Institute of Music.

Oleg has an excellent musical memory, he performs both classical and jazz wonderfully. For him, there are no complex works. O. Akkuratov sings well, has a pleasant lyrical baritone voice.

creative way

In 2003, while still a student, Oleg Akkuratov performed in the UK in front of the Pope. And also participated in the concert of the outstanding opera diva Montserrat Caballe.

In 2005 the young pianist performed in Moscow, St. Petersburg and London. His partners were world famous orchestras.

In 2006, Oleg showed himself as a talented vocalist, taking 1st place in the competition choirs and soloists.

In 2009, A. Akkuratov was the hero of the program "Let them talk" by A. Malakhov. Then he moved to live in Morevka, to his father and his family. Headed in the city of Yeysk jazz orchestra"MICH-band", became the soloist of the theater "Russian Opera". A concert was organized at the Moscow Conservatory, in which Oleg Akkuratov was supposed to perform. The pianist planned to perform J. S. Bach's fantasy together with a combined choir of 815 people and an orchestra. But the concert did not take place. Oleg's father, who had not previously taken any part in the fate of his son, prevented this performance.

Due to blindness, a pianist has to spend 10 or more hours a day mastering new pieces. Oleg is constantly developing and improving.

Awards

Owner a large number diplomas is Oleg Akkuratov. The blind pianist became the winner of a large number of competitions and festivals at the regional, all-Russian and international levels. He received his first diploma in 2002.

Competitions in which Oleg Akkuratov won

• "Starry youth of the planet".
• Competition for young jazz musicians.
• "Piano in jazz" (competition of young performers).
• Competition for young pianists named after K. Igumnov.
• "Orpheus".
• Contest young composers Kuban and many others.

In 2001, he became a scholarship holder of the Gifted Children program.

Found family

Oleg Akkuratov, as mentioned above, was brought up with his grandmother, and then in a special music school for visually impaired and blind children. Parents did not take any part in the upbringing of the musician. A few years ago, Oleg found a father and stepmother. Also two brothers and a sister. Oleg now lives with them in Morevka. They control his entire life. Rumor has it that relatives forced the pianist to perform almost in restaurants so that he would earn money from them, since none of his family members work. His apartment, which he received from the state, is put up for sale, and the money accumulated in his account has been spent. The pianist's father is going to become his concert director, as he believes that the musician does not need strangers, although he does not have the necessary experience for this.

Concert programs

Oleg Akkuratov leads an active tour activity. He rides on different cities and also performs at prestigious venues in the capital.

Concert programs current season:

• "The saved world remembers" (evening in memory of the composer A. Eshpay);
• festival of musical humor in Chelyabinsk;
• concert with Deborah Brown;
• "Beauty Queens";
• performance with Igor Butman and his orchestra;
• musical evenings in Aramil and Yekaterinburg;
• concert with the Russian Chamber Orchestra;
• charity marathon "Flower-Semitsvetik";
• concert with Jesse Jones and others.

A landmark event, in which Oleg Akkuratov took part, is a concert " The possibilities are limited - the abilities are limitless". The pianist performed in a duet with E. Kunz. The musicians performed F. Schubert's "Fantasy" in F minor in four hands. The performance was bright and emotional. The musicians played superbly with each other and sounded like one person.

great actress

Oleg Akkuratov became the prototype of the protagonist of the film "Motley Twilight", in which actress Lyudmila Gurchenko acted as director and composer. The picture was taken in 2009. The premiere took place in Lyudmila Markovna, who loved the blind pianist very much, called him her son and did a lot for him. She attended a school in Armavir, where Oleg studied, and took part in charity concert. great actress and young pianist performed songs that were included in the film "Motley Twilight", which at that time was still in the process of filming. A lot of people came to the concert. Lyudmila Gurchenko and Oleg Akkuratov were not allowed to leave the stage for a long time. Death great actress became a blow to the musician.

Mikhail Okun - Oleg's teacher - is seriously concerned about the future of his student.