Sergey Zhilin & PHONOGRAPH

This Russian musician has long been known in the jazz circles of Europe and the USA. The pianist, composer, band leader and arranger, Sergey Zhilin is considered to be one of the most successful musicians of Russia representing its music culture on the highest international level.

Sergey Zhilin was born on October 23, 1966, in Moscow. In the years spent in the Central Music School at the Conservatoire, he was fascinated by classical music. He was said to be destined for the worldwide fame of the academic pianist. But the virtuoso musician took interest in jazz. Thus in 1982, Sergey entered the Musical Improvisation College and in a year he organized the now legendary Fonograf Jazz Band - an orchestra of young musicians playing the music of different styles: traditional jazz, soul, mainstream, funk, jazz-rock, and fusion. Such a striking diversity and flexibility let Sergey Zhilin combine the experience of very different collectives from the Presidential Orchestra of Russia under P.Ovsyannikov to rock'n'roll bands and all kinds of jazz combos.

In 2002, Sergey became the Music Director and chief conductor of the Russian version of the world-known Broadway musical "Chicago", in 2003 he was the music director of the traditional international festival "Days of Russian Culture".