Oleg is a blind pianist. Musician Oleg Akkuratov: “In the USA we are applauded especially loudly. About jazz and classics

For 18 years, RG has been following the fate of Oleg Akkuratov, a phenomenally gifted blind musician from the Krasnodar region.

We first talked about him when Oleg was only eight years old and he studied at the Armavir specialized music school for blind and visually impaired children. And even then they were convinced: the child’s unusual gift amazed everyone who came into contact with him. Hundreds of different people all these years nurtured the young talent and rejoiced at Oleg’s successes. And his meeting with Lyudmila Markovna Gurchenko gave him a chance to become a real world star. The actress took Oleg with her to concerts, sang with him at creative meetings, and persuaded businessmen to buy an expensive concert grand piano for him. In 2008, she accompanied him to Novosibirsk for the International Piano Competition. Akkuratov’s performance was the opening of the competition - he performed on equal terms with sighted musicians and won a triumphant victory.

In the fall of next year, the stage of the Great Hall of the Moscow Conservatory awaited him, but he never appeared on it. It turned out that at the request of his relatives, Oleg returned to the tiny village of Morevka in the Yeisk region, from where he was sent to the Armavir school at the age of six. Now, in addition to the grandparents, the second family of Oleg’s father lived in the house with three children. So he had to become the breadwinner of a large family. The jazz band "MICH-Band" was created especially for him, named after the former resident of Yerevan, Mikhail Ivanovich Chepel (hence the abbreviation). "MICH Band" became a commercial project of a capital philanthropist who undertook to patronize a blind musician. Tickets for the concerts of the hastily put together jazz group, performing under the brand of International Piano Competition laureate Oleg Akkuratov, were selling like hot cakes. Oleg abandoned his studies in Moscow and, on the advice of his new trustees, began to refuse to participate in significant cultural events, where he continued to be invited.

He also did not appear at the premiere of Lyudmila Gurchenko’s film “Motley Twilight,” filmed with his participation and dedicated to the fate of an equally gifted blind youth. The credits read: "Piano and vocals - Oleg Akkuratov." Lyudmila Markovna dreamed that she would bring her young idol onto the stage and everyone would see the one who became the prototype of the main character. But this did not happen.

"Motley Twilight" ends with a happy ending: the famous musician takes the aspiring star to continue his studies abroad. In life, everything turned out differently. Oleg’s relatives tried to cut him off from all previous contacts, even from communication with the great actress. But they brought him to Gurchenko’s funeral. In an interview with reporters, he said that he would never forget what this great woman did for him. Bowing his head, he followed the coffin, but did not have time to say the last “sorry”...

We learned about further developments from the director of the Yeisk School of Arts, Elena Ivakhnenko.

He came to us after graduating from a jazz college with the help of teachers from the Armavir Music School and the first year of a music institute in Moscow,” she explains. - They took his documents and transferred him to the Rostov Conservatory. His teacher and mentor here was piano professor Vladimir Daich. I went with him to Rostov for more than a year, for which my relatives didn’t even say thank you. At this time, Chepel took out the instruments of the jazz orchestra, allegedly donated to our House of Culture, in order to independently exploit Oleg’s talent in the future. One can only be amazed how the guy managed to graduate from the conservatory.

We contact Oleg’s teacher, professor of the Rostov Conservatory Vladimir Samuilovich Daich.

He studied piano with me for four years,” explains the professor. - A phenomenally gifted musician, but we parted badly. I don’t know at whose instigation, but he acted dishonestly and dishonestly.

It turned out that last fall Akkuratov received second prize at one of the most prestigious music competitions in Moscow. It was agreed that Vladimir Samuilovich would prepare Oleg to participate in the Tchaikovsky Competition, but he... disappeared.

Oleg had a chance to become a world famous person, Dyche laments, but he missed it. - This is extremely offensive. I heard that he plays in restaurants and earns money. It's probably necessary. But is it really possible to hammer nails with an expensive microscope?! However, he is now studying jazz and this is probably the right choice. After all, the main thing here is not the teacher, but personal talent and the ability to improvise. That is, what he is endowed with in abundance by nature.

They had not seen the professor for almost a year. Oleg abandoned his studies at the conservatory, until one day Elena Ivakhnenko reminded him that he had to pass state exams.

In May of this year, he appeared with the question: “Can I pass the state exams,” says Professor Dyche. “I studied with him for a day, and the next day he passed the exam. That's where we parted. I have no grudge against him, only sympathy. After all, if everything had turned out differently, the world would have applauded him now. This is an amazingly gifted person. Personally, I do not lose hope that he will be able to achieve a lot, overcoming fate and prevailing circumstances. And, of course, I was very happy when I learned that Igor Butman took over Oleg’s creative patronage. Perhaps with its help he will stop hammering nails with an expensive microscope. Oleg is our common heritage. And its future should be of concern to everyone who thinks about the prestige of the country.

Meanwhile

Pianist Oleg Akkuratov took part in the filming of the program “Property of the Republic”, dedicated to Lyudmila Gurchenko. And he sang in a duet with Aslan Akhmadov so purely, touchingly and soulfully that many in the studio wanted to vote for this particular song - the famous “For three years I dreamed of you.” Of course, the composition sounded to the piano accompaniment of Oleg Akkuratov. Gurchenko’s husband, Sergei Senin, telling the story of Oleg Akkuratov’s acquaintance with Lyudmila Markovna in the program, emphasized that Gurchenko did not call the talented pianist anything other than a “miracle” and an “angel.” And Oleg once again confirmed both his talent and his purpose on television filming.

The program “PROPERTY OF THE REPUBLIC”, dedicated to Lyudmila Gurchenko, will be aired on Channel One on Saturday, November 14, at 19.00.

Pianist, native of Yeisk and graduate of the Armavir school for blind and visually impaired children Oleg Akkuratov is now preparing for the presentation of his new album. He recorded the music at the end of last year and only now the record itself is ready.

The album includes recordings of Beethoven’s sonatas interpreted by Oleg Akkuratov, he told the KP-Kuban website. director of the musician Anton Sergeev. - Three famous sonatas - No. 8 “Pathetique”, No. 14 “Lunar” and No. 23 “Appassionata”.

Oleg Akkuratov himself believes that these are the works that are relevant forever.

Beethoven is my favorite composer, his sonatas are brilliant. That’s why for my new album I chose the three most famous ones, which are basic for learning the art of playing the piano at the highest level,” says Oleg.

Pianist and partner of the head of the Moscow Jazz Orchestra Igor Butman Oleg Akkuratov recorded the music in two days.

When we first went to the Moscow Conservatory to record music, the sound engineer was sure that during the first session we would only record half of one of the sonatas. And Oleg played everything from the first take and on the first day they recorded two sonatas at once,” Anton Sergeev talks about how the pianist worked on the album. - Oleg will present the record on September 22 in the Theater Hall of the Moscow International House of Music. At the concert he will perform one of the sonatas. He will also play classics by Mozart and Rachmaninoff, as well as jazz. By the way, violinist Anastasia Vidyakova will also take part in the concert. Oleg will play several musical compositions with her.

Oleg Akkuratov, composition “The soul must work.”

This record is not the first in Oleg Akkuratov’s collection. Two years ago, he recorded his debut jazz disc with Igor Butman.

Oleg Akkuratov is a unique world-class musician, winner of numerous international competitions, brilliantly performing both academic and jazz music. His music has been heard by hundreds of millions of people around the world - he played at the closing of the Paralympics in Sochi in 2014, and collaborates with Igor Butman.

But he came to world fame through thorns. Mom gave birth to a boy at the age of 15 in Yeisk. Oleg was born blind. His parents didn’t need him, so he was raised by his grandparents. They brought their grandson to music teachers at a boarding school for blind children in Armavir. Oleg received his first prize at the age of six, by the age of 17 he was already performing on the same stage with Montserrat Caballe. At the age of 19, he won the International Piano Competition, beating his sighted peers. The famous jazzman Mikhail Okun trained with the boy. When Oleg graduated from the Moscow Pop and Jazz School, the teacher introduced him to Lyudmila Gurchenko. The actress was so fascinated by the boy that she decided to make a film about his difficult fate.

For a long time, Oleg lived in his native Yeisk, where he worked part-time in a restaurant playing the piano. And then he moved to Moscow. Now Akkuratov lives in the capital and devotes himself entirely to music. He schedules every day minute by minute. But the 29-year-old pianist finds time to go to his native Yeisk to visit his grandparents. And he tries to come to them every year.

Oleg Akkuratov- a phenomenally gifted blind musician from the Krasnodar region. He amazed with his talent Lyudmila Gurchenko and Montserrat Caballe, and now, as a member of the Igor Butman Quartet and the Moscow Jazz Orchestra, he regularly tours in various parts of the world. On Russia Day, June 12, the virtuoso pianist will perform a solo concert on the stage of the Great Hall of the Moscow Conservatory.

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

Daria Ostasheva, AiF. ru: Oleg, you are going to perform solo on the stage of the Great Hall of the Moscow Conservatory. Many musicians dream about this all their lives, but how do you feel?

Oleg Akkuratov: I feel something very good. I think there will be a wonderful audience at the concert. We have prepared a rich program: the first part will feature the twenty-first sonata Beethoven, nocturne and polonaise Chopin, "June" Tchaikovsky from the series “The 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 of the famous composer George Gershwin.

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

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

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

— My future plans are to tour and 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 does come 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 do you remember most and, perhaps, changed something in your life?

“These were some of the events that I remember most.” But the most fateful meeting in my life at the moment is meeting 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 and gained tremendous experience playing with the orchestra and its team.

— I know that over the past few years, as a member of the Igor Butman Quartet and the Moscow Jazz Orchestra, you have toured in Canada, China, Israel, India, Latvia, and even made several tours in the USA. Tell us how you are received by foreign audiences.

— 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 gets up from their seats, dances, sings along and applauds especially wildly.

"Music is my life"

— Lyudmila Gurchenko also noticed you and even dedicated her directorial debut to you: the film “Motley Twilight.” Tell me, were you looking for a meeting with her, or did the prima one day find you?

“She came up to me completely unexpectedly during lunch and said: “Hello, darling, hello, my dear... Let’s sing “Silence behind the Rogozhskaya outpost”?” (this was later the song we started working with her on).

Then Lyudmila Markovna decided to direct the film “Motley Twilight” about a blind musician. But it can rather be called fiction rather than documentary work, that is, I was only the prototype of the main character. For example, I am not from Voronezh, unlike the hero of the film. I didn’t study in Toronto or New Jersey, but I studied in Moscow, Armavir, and Rostov.

— In “Motley Twilight,” a hero named Oleg Akkuratov was played by professional actor Dmitry Kubasov. Didn't you want to play the main role yourself?

- No, I didn’t even have such a thought. In this film I sang songs, played musical pieces, that was my role.

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

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

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

Biography

Oleg Akkuratov was born in the Krasnodar region, 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 abilities began to appear in the boy at the age of 4 years. His grandmother took him to audition in Armavir, at the only music boarding school in Russia for visually impaired and blind children. He was accepted to study there, and the boy left home. In Armavir, Oleg learned musical notation using the Braille system. At the age of 6, he was already playing P. I. Tchaikovsky’s first concerto, which he learned by ear from a record. Then he won his first victory in the competition. In 2008, Oleg graduated from the Moscow Music College of Pop and Jazz Art and entered the Institute of Music.

Oleg has perfect pitch, excellent musical memory, and a wonderful sense of rhythm. He performs both classical and jazz. There are no difficult works for him. O. Akkuratov sings well and has a pleasant lyrical baritone.

Creative path

In 2003, while still a student, Oleg Akkuratov performed in Great Britain before the Pope. He also took part 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 proved himself to be a talented vocalist, taking 1st place in the competition of choirs and soloists.

In 2009, A. Akkuratov was the hero of A. Malakhov’s “Let Them Talk” program. Then he moved to live in Morevka, with his father and his family. He headed the Mich Band jazz orchestra in the city of Yeisk and became a soloist at the Russian Opera Theater. 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 Yuri Bashmet's orchestra. But the concert did not take place. Oleg’s father, who had previously not taken any part in his son’s fate, prevented this performance.

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

Awards

The owner of a large number of diplomas is Oleg Akkuratov. The blind pianist became a laureate 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

• "The starry youth of the planet."
• Competition for young jazz performers.
• “Piano in Jazz” (competition for young performers).
• Competition for young pianists named after K. Igumnov.
• "Orpheus".
• Competition of young composers of Kuban and many others.

In 2001, he became a scholarship recipient 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 musician’s upbringing. Several years ago, Oleg found a father and stepmother. And also two brothers and a sister. Oleg now lives with them in Morevka. They control his whole life. There are rumors that his relatives forced the pianist to perform almost in restaurants so that he could earn money from them, since none of his family members worked. 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, because he believes that the musician does not need strangers, although he does not have the necessary experience for this.

Concert programs

Oleg Akkuratov is actively touring. He travels to different cities and also performs at prestigious venues in the capital.

Concert programs this season:

• “The Saved World Remembers” (evening in memory of composer A. Eshpai);
• 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 of Seven Flowers";
• concert with Jesse Jones and others.

A landmark event in which Oleg Akkuratov took part was a concert " The possibilities are limited - the abilities are limitless." The pianist performed in a duet with E. Kunz. The musicians performed four hands of F. Schubert's Fantasia in F minor. 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 for the main character of the film "Motley Twilight", in which actress Lyudmila Gurchenko acted as director and composer. The film was filmed in 2009. The premiere screening took place in a Moscow cinema. Lyudmila Markovna loved the blind pianist very much, called him son and did a lot for him. She attended school in Armavir, where Oleg studied, and took part in a charity concert. The great actress and the young pianist performed songs included in the film “Motley Twilight,” which was still in the process of filming at that time. A lot of listeners came to the concert. Lyudmila Gurchenko and Oleg Akkuratov were not allowed to leave the stage for a long time. The death of the great actress was a blow for the musician.

Mikhail Okun, Oleg’s teacher, is seriously concerned about the future of his student.

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

Biography

Oleg Akkuratov was born in the Krasnodar region, 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 abilities began to appear in the boy at the age of 4 years. His grandmother took him to audition in Armavir, at the only music boarding school in Russia for visually impaired and blind children. He was accepted to study there, and the boy left home. In Armavir, Oleg learned musical notation using the Braille system. At the age of 6, he was already playing P. I. Tchaikovsky’s first concerto, which he learned by ear from a record. Then he won his first victory in the competition. In 2008, Oleg graduated from the Moscow Music College of Pop and Jazz Art and entered the Institute of Music.

Oleg has an excellent musical memory; he performs both classics and jazz wonderfully. There are no difficult works for him. O. Akkuratov sings well and has a pleasant lyrical baritone.

Creative path

In 2003, while still a student, Oleg Akkuratov performed in Great Britain before the Pope. He also took part 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 proved himself to be a talented vocalist, taking 1st place in the competition of choirs and soloists.

In 2009, A. Akkuratov was the hero of A. Malakhov’s “Let Them Talk” program. Then he moved to live in Morevka, with his father and his family. He headed the Mich Band jazz orchestra in the city of Yeisk and became a soloist at the Russian Opera Theater. 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 previously not taken any part in his son’s fate, prevented this performance.

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

Awards

The owner of a large number of diplomas is Oleg Akkuratov. The blind pianist became a laureate 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

• "The starry youth of the planet."
• Competition for young jazz performers.
• “Piano in Jazz” (competition for young performers).
• Competition for young pianists named after K. Igumnov.
• "Orpheus".
• Competition of young composers of Kuban and many others.

In 2001, he became a scholarship recipient 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 musician’s upbringing. Several years ago, Oleg found a father and stepmother. And also two brothers and a sister. Oleg now lives with them in Morevka. They control his whole life. There are rumors that his relatives forced the pianist to perform almost in restaurants so that he could earn money from them, since none of his family members worked. 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, because he believes that the musician does not need strangers, although he does not have the necessary experience for this.

Concert programs

Oleg Akkuratov is actively touring. He travels to different cities and also performs at prestigious venues in the capital.

Concert programs this season:

• “The Saved World Remembers” (evening in memory of composer A. Eshpai);
• 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 of Seven Flowers";
• concert with Jesse Jones and others.

A landmark event in which Oleg Akkuratov took part was a concert " The possibilities are limited - the abilities are limitless." The pianist performed in a duet with E. Kunz. The musicians performed four hands of F. Schubert's Fantasia in F minor. 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 for the main character of the film "Motley Twilight", in which actress Lyudmila Gurchenko acted as director and composer. The film was filmed in 2009. The premiere show took place in Lyudmila Markovna, who loved the blind pianist very much, called him son and did a lot for him. She attended school in Armavir, where Oleg studied, and took part in a charity concert. The great actress and the young pianist performed songs included in the film “Motley Twilight,” which was still in the process of filming at that time. A lot of listeners came to the concert. Lyudmila Gurchenko and Oleg Akkuratov were not allowed to leave the stage for a long time. The death of the great actress was a blow for the musician.

Mikhail Okun, Oleg’s teacher, is seriously concerned about the future of his student.