Sergey Zhilin & PHONOGRAPH

Zhilin's pianistic grandeur is no accident. For years he studied at the Moscow Music Conservatory where he was trained as a classical musician. Everyone expected the young virtuoso to become an important concert pianist. But instead of pursuing a classical career, he decided on jazz, went to the “Moscow College of Improvised Music” in 1982 and founded the legendary “Fonograf Jazz Band”, only one year later. Together with his ensemble, he dedicates himself to his unrestrained desire to experiment with genres such as traditional jazz, classical music, soul, mainstream, funk, jazz-rock, fusion as well as songs by stars like Michael Jackson, Eric Clapton, Stevie Wonder, Paul McCartney and Lenny Kravitz. Zhilin's stylistic flexibility and versatility is shared by his ensemble and marks his collaboration with such diverse formations as the Presidential Orchestra of the Russian Federation under Pavel Ovsyannikov or his annual performances with pop and folk stars at the international festival "The Slavic Bazaar".

In 2002 Zhilin became the music director and chief conductor of the Russian version of the Broadway musical “Chicago”. In 2003 he was music director of the international festival “Days of Russian Culture”. Among Zhilin's most outstanding projects are the series “Raptures in Jazz”, organized together with outstanding Russian pianists in Moscow's “Golden Ring” theatre, and the annual format “JazzValentine” in Moscow's House of International Music.