Alexey Utkin (Alexei Utkin) |

Alexei Utkin

The name of Alexei Utkin is widely known in Russia and abroad. A huge natural talent, a brilliant musical education received within the walls of the Moscow Conservatory, an excellent school that Utkin went through playing with Vladimir Spivakov in the Moscow Virtuosos made him a very prominent figure in the modern musical world.

“Golden oboe of Russia”, Alexei Utkin brought the oboe as a solo instrument to the Russian stage. According to critics, he “turned the oboe, an extras instrument, into the protagonist of amazing events.” Starting to perform solo works written for the oboe, he subsequently also expanded the range and possibilities of the instrument through special arrangements for the oboe. Today, the musician’s repertoire includes works by I.S. Bach, Vivaldi, Haydn, Salieri, Mozart, Rossini, Richard Strauss, Shostakovich, Britten, Penderetsky. A vivid example of his virtuosity was the performance of the works of the forgotten oboist composer of the early XNUMXth century, Antonio Pasculli, who was nicknamed “Paganini of the oboe” in his time.

The musician’s concerts are held on the most prestigious stages of the world: Carnegie Hall and Avery Fisher Hall (New York), Concertgebouw (Amsterdam), Palace de la Musica (Barcelona), Auditorio Nacional (Madrid ), “Academy of Santa Cecilia” (Rome), “Theater of the Champs Elysees” (Paris), “Hercules Hall” (Munich), “Beethoven Hall” (Bonn). He performs with such renowned musicians as V. Spivakov, Y. Bashmet, D. Khvorostovsky, N. Gutman, E. Virsaladze, A. Rudin, R. Vladkovich, V. Popov, E. Obraztsova, D. Daniels and many others stars of the classical scene.

Many of Alexey Utkin’s solo programs have attracted the attention of record companies, including RCA-BMG (Classics Red Label). The musician recorded Bach’s concerti for oboe and oboe d’amore, plays by Rossini, Pasculli, Vivaldi, Salieri, Penderecki.

Alexei Utkin plays a unique oboe from F. LORÉE, the oldest oboe manufacturer. This instrument was specially made for Alexei Utkin by the famous French master, the owner of the company, Alan de Gourdon. Alexey Utkin represents F. LORÉE at The International Double Reed Society (IDRS), a global organization that brings together performers of double-reed wind instruments and manufacturers of these instruments.

In 2000, Alexei Utkin organized and led the Hermitage Moscow Chamber Orchestra, with which he has successfully performed for the past ten years in the best Russian and foreign halls.

During the same period, A. Utkin and the Hermitage ensemble recorded more than ten discs in collaboration with the Caro Mitis recording company.

Aleksey Utkin’s experiments in combination with jazz musicians – I. Butman, V. Grokhovsky, F. Levinshtein, I. Zolotukhin, as well as with musicians of different ethnic directions are noticeable and new.

It is impossible not to mention the participation of Alexei Utkin and the ensemble “Hermitage” in the premiere of the play based on N. Gogol “Portrait” (staged by A. Borodin) at the Russian Academic Youth Theater in collaboration with the leading artist of the theater E. Redko.

Alexey Utkin successfully combines an active concert activity and teaching work, being a professor at the Moscow State Conservatory. P.I. Tchaikovsky.

In 2010, Alexei Utkin received an offer to head the Moscow Philharmonic State Academic Chamber Orchestra of Russia and became its artistic director.

“There are only a few people who can combine conducting with a solo career, and I’m sure that Alexey is one of them, because he has such a powerful talent” (George Cleve, conductor, USA)

“I consider my friend Alexei Utkin one of the best oboists of today. He certainly belongs to the world musical elite. We worked together on the jury of the International Oboo Competition in Toulon, and I must say that Utkin is not only an excellent musician, he also perfectly feels the beauty created by other musicians ”(Ray Still, oboist of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra)

“Alexey Utkin is an oboist of the highest world level. He has performed with my orchestra on several occasions, and I cannot give another example of such a brilliant oboe playing. An extremely gifted musician, Utkin constantly performs as a soloist, performing many arrangements of pieces for oboe that no one else dares to play ”(Alexander Rudin, cellist, conductor)

Source: Moscow Philharmonic website