Alexander Shirunov


Alexander Shirunov was born on the 22nd of July 1983 in Nikolsk, located in the Vologda area of Russia. He began his music studies at the age of four, and at the age of six he entered his first Music School. At this school he studied accordion, violin, piano and voice.

During his years of musical training at the Music School he became the winner of many regional contests, both as an accordionist and also a singer.

In 1998 Alexander entered the Special Secondary Music School of Saint Petersburg State Conservatory named after Rimsky-Korsakov. Here he studied under renowned Professor Alexander Dmitriev.

In 2002 he was accepted at the Rimsky-Korsakov Conservatory without going through the formal entry examinations, as he was one of the best graduates of the Secondary Music School and so was admitted automatically. Alexander has now completed these Conservatory studies, passing all his exams with the highest possible marks. He now plans to begin his postgraduate studies.

Recently, Alexander has participated in several International Competitions such as the World Accordion VIP Show in France, the Primus Ikaalinen in Finland as well as the Cittia di Castelfidardo Competition in Italy and the CIA Coupe Mondiale in Portugal.

As part of his prize package for his recent competition success at the CIA Coupe Mondiale, Alexander has been invited to perform several concert tours, including appearances in New Zealand, Australia, Hungary, Slovakia and the Czech Republic.

Alexander has recently recorded his first CD - 'Absolute Shirunov.' This project was sponsored by the German based company 'Intermusik' who arranged the prize after Alexander's stunning performance at the 2005 CIA Coupe Mondiale International Competition for Accordionists in Portugal.

Alexander is in the process of recording his second CD in duo with Nadia Guseva. Also due for release is his DVD of a live concert in Frankfurt.
 

 

International Competitions & Awards


2000
- International Andreev Competition, St. Petersburg, Russia - I prize

2001
- St. Peter & Paul Harmonica Assemblies - St. Petersburg, Russia - I Prize
- Citta di Castelfidardo - Castelfidardo, Italy - II Prize

2002
- Voices of Spring - Moscow, Russia - II Prize
- Citta di Lanciano - Lanciano, Italy - II Prize
- CIA Coupe Mondiale Entertainment Division - Copenhagen, Denmark - III prize

2003
- St. Peter & Paul Harmonica Assemblies, St. Petersburg - I Prize & Nikitin Prize

2005
- Voices of Spring - Moscow, Russia - III Prize
- VIP World Accordion Show - Pontarlier, France - III Prize
- Primus Ikaalinen - Ikaalinen, Finland - II Prize
- Trofeo "Citta di Palaggianello" Italy - I Prize (Classical)
- Trofeo "Citta di Palaggianello" Italy - I Prize (Virtuoso Entertainment)
- Citta di Castelfidardo, Castelfidardo, Italy - I prize
- Citta di Lanciano, Lanciano, Italy - I prize
- CIA Coupe Mondiale Piano Accordion Division - Castelo Branco, Portugal - I Prize
- CIA Coupe Mondiale Entertainment Division - Castelo Branco, Portugal - II Prize
- Intermusik Prize - CD Production
- New Zealand Accordion Association Prize - Concert Tour to New Zealand
- Australian Accordion Teachers Association Prize - Concert Tour to Australia
- MCA Slovakia Prize - Concert Tour - Hungary, Slovakia & Czech Republic

2006
- Citta di Castelfidardo, (in duo with Nadia Guseva)
  

 

Photo Gallery
 
 

Concerts

 
2008 Concerts
- Nashville, USA (Intl. Guest Artist - ATG Convention) June 12-15, 2008
- Trossingen, Germany ("Akkordeon Grenzenlos") March 25-30, 2008
- Frankfurt, Germany (Musikmesse ProLight & Sound) March 12-15, 2008
- Los Angeles, USA (Hohner Artist - NAMM Convention) January 17-20, 2008

2007 Concerts
- The Netherlands (Dutch Film Festival-Utrecht & TV appearance-Amsterdam)
- Skeitreffen Accordion Festival, Norway - November 2-5, 2007
- Tour in Germany (in duo with Nadia Guseva) - November, 2007
- Friedrichshafen, Germany - October, 2007
- Trossingen, Germany - September, 2007
- Ransater Accordion festival, Sweden - July 4-8, 2007
- Sata-Hame Soi Accordion Festival, Ikaalinen, Finland, June 26-July 1, 2007
- Tour in Norway (including Randsfjord Accordion Festival) - April, 2007

2006 Concerts
- Finland and Sweden: 25-28 February, 2006
- Frankfurt, Germany: 13-14 May, 2006
- Genova, Italy: 25-27 of August, 2006
- Sydney, Australia: 27-28 May, 2006
- Auckland, New Zealand: 2-4 June, 2006
- Hungary: 2006
- Slovakia: 2006
- Czech Republic: 2006
- Asker, Norway: October 18-20, 2006
- Vilnius, Lithuania: October 26-28, 2006
 

 

CD - Absolute Alexander Shirunov


Omaggio ad Astor Piazzolla by Vladimir Zubitsky (4:41)
A la Française by Claude Bolling (5:45)
Take Five by Paul Desmond, arr. David Gazarov and A. Shirunov (3:48)
La Tempête by André Astier (1:43)
Carnevale by Renzo Ruggieri, arr. A. Shirunov (3:55)
Route Express by André Astier, Tony Fallone (3:14)
Accordion Rag by André Astier (3:08)
Schagi (Steps) by Viktor Vlasov (4:01)
L'Aquilon - Averse by André Astier, Jacky Mallerey - Médard Ferrero (2:51)
Monsieur Ferrero by Eric Bouvelle, Maurice Larcange (2:01)
Variations On an Ukrainian Theme by Juri Kasakov (5:01)

Order your copy today!

http://www.musicforaccordion.com/inform/kschmuelling/ks516.htm
 

 

News

 
English Translation of Newspaper Article: Intermusik-Zeitung, December 2005
Shirunov - "Primo Assoluto": Virtuoso, Gallant, Musical, a Genius.

"An entertainer par excellence and simultaneously a deeply moving virtuoso master of classical music." - "A Russian who is even more."

In this way, Alexander Shirunov is described full of fascination and admiration by competition rivals performing musicians, audiences, and jurors, who attempt to express that he is in every respect far more than somebody who can be characterized with conventional attributes or who can be measured with common knowledge regarding countries, people, musicians, and art.

Alexander Shirunov speaks impeccable English with Oxford accent. He is reminiscent in his overall appearance of the legendary Moscow virtuoso Yuri Kazakov, who for decades was the most exquisite and gallant virtuoso of Soviet show and entertainment business. As epitome of Soviet entertainment music artistry, Kazakov always appeared as a noble high-caliber musician. Kazakov, like Shirunov without their ever having met-are professed and passionate musicians in all areas of the beautiful art.

The 22 year old accordionist was born in the city of Nikolsk in the Vologda region in the northeastern part of European Russia. At the tender age of four, he began to play music when his father presented him with an accordion. When he was six years old and entered school-still quite small for his age-he began to play violin after his teacher recognized his exceptional musical talent, but deemed him too small for accordion. Therefore, during the next three years Alexander played violin in school and accordion at home. Later, he had to study piano, singing, and saxophone before he finally could devote himself to the accordion, declaring it was the instrument he had loved from the beginning and the most important to him. At that time, he already had been awarded a number of first prizes and honors from regional and national music competitions in singing and accordion categories.

In 1997, the well-known bayan-accordion virtuoso and educator Alexander Dmitriev from St. Petersburg discovered him during a visit to the city Elabuga in Tatarstan, where Shirunov was participating in a master course, which Professor Dmitriyev was conducting there. Dmitriev immediately invited Shirunov to come to St. Petersburg to study with him, which for the 14 year old Alexander was like a revelation from God. He proclaims: "To go to the world culture city St. Petersburg and study with the famous Professor Dmitriev, the idol of many young musicians, was something special." One year later, in 1998, Alexander accepted the invitation and enrolled at the Special Music Vocational High School in the Rimsky-Korsakov Conservatory for talented musicians. In 2002, he was automatically accepted into the Rimsky-Korsakov Conservatory without further examination after proving to be one of the best students in the special school. He still studies in Professor Dmitriev's classes today.

"Shirunov on Stage Is Like a Fish in Water"
When Shirunov is on stage, he says he feels like a fish in water. His performances of everything he presents are exceptionally lively. He experiences the music from the depths of his entire soul and knows how to project this masterfully to his audience. He sings, dances, plays, and moves like an artist with truly universal nature. Shirunov gives virtuoso entertainment music the quality and noble appearance necessary for it to transform into another genre of musical art. He interprets this "light music" in a manner that has value. A value that high-caliber artists in the classical music area recognize and appreciate. Furthermore, Shirunov plays Baroque, classical, and avant-garde compositions as originals and arrangements so convincingly that professionals conclude he cannot be classified into one category. He is just a class for himself.

"The Musician Who Is Like an Entire Universe"
In his interpretations, borders between virtuoso entertainment and demanding classical music disappear. Tones are crystal clear and as elegant as pearls in the best champagne: tingling, nobly fresh, from deepest aesthetic soul. His music is comprehensive and all-embracing. It portrays a new genre. What's more, it lives up to the motto: "Music is life."

Alexander Shirunov's achievements in the second half of 2005 alone are notable, especially when one considers that even his second place rankings in competitions could have been first prizes if diplomatic calculations had not played a role.

  • First prize at Premio Internazionale di Castelfidardo (Italy) in the category for  solo virtuoso entertainment music
  • Second prize at Premio Internazionale di Castelfidardo (Italy) in the category for classical chamber music in duet with Nadia Guseva
  • First prize at Premio Internazionale in Palaggianello (Italy), where he won the recognition "Primo Assoluto"
  • First prize at International Music Prize Citta di Lanciano (Italy)
  • First prize at Coupe Mondiale in Castelo Branco (Portugal) in the category for classical Piano Accordion
  • Second prize at Coupe Mondiale in Castelo Branco (Portugal) in the category for virtuoso entertainment music

In addition, there are his special performances at the large international entertainment festivals in Ikaalinen (Finland) and Pontarlier (France) in early 2005, where his musical presentations also reached peak levels. Of course, results at competitions for Shirunov are no evidence of musical quality. All too often he experiences, to his disappointment, that jury decisions are often determined by coincidence and luck. He has often delivered performances with which internationally experiences jurors are unable to cope.

Shirunov is in a class unto himself. He depicts, plays, demonstrates-maybe even without knowing it himself-a quite new dimension of demanding entertainment music, whereby for his musical expression actually a new suitable term should be coined.
 

 

Hohner Instruments


Alexander Shirunov plays:

Hohner Fun Flash Piano Accordion
Hohner 'Morino IV, 120 C 45' Deluxe Converter Piano Accordion
 

 

Contact Information


Alexander Shirunov
Box 448
Pochtamt
Saint-Petersburg, 190000
RUSSIA

Mobile Telephone: 007-911-2253494
E-mail:alexander.shirunov(at)gmail(dot)com
 

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