Jazz pianist Evgeny Borets at the anniversary concert in Kazan: “I feel myself at home”

(KZN.RU, August 16, Alina Berezhnaya). Yesterday, a jazz concert “5:0” was held in the Cannon Courtyard of the Kazan Kremlin by Evgeny Borets, pianist, one of the leading composers and arrangers of the Russian jazz scene. A jazz evening was held as part of the XIII International Festival of Improvisational Music “JAZZ in the Kremlin with Olga Skepner”.

Ilsur Metshin, the Mayor of Kazan, congratulated the musician. He noted that they have long-standing friendly relations with Evgeny Borets, and he is proud that a talented musician was born in Kazan. “Our friendship lasts 30 years. A city with a 1000-year history is famous for its people. It is a great honor for me that our friend Evgeny Borets pleases not only Kazan and Russia, but the whole world with his music, talent and sincere heart. We are proud of you, we wish you all the best, success, inspiration and health to your mother”, wished I. Metshin.

The pianist was congratulated by singer Andrey Makarevich, actor Daniil Spivakovsky, as well as other theater and cinema artists, performers Konstantin Gevondyan, Polina Kasyanova, Levan Lomidze, Sergey Manukyan, Timur Nekrasov, David Tkebuchava, and Sergey Khutas. Together with Evgeny Borets, they performed famous compositions in the original arrangement.

“My friends came with me, and each of them worries like me as well. The task was to show different music and style. Thank you for coming, I feel myself at home”, said E. Borets to the audience.

Opening the concert, Olga Skepner, the music director of the festival, said that the idea to organize an anniversary concert in the hometown of Evgeny Borets appeared two years ago. “We dreamed of holding an anniversary concert in Kazan, the city where Zhenya began his musical journey. Then it seemed to us a utopia, but miracles do happen. It’s impossible to plunge into the world of Evgeny’s music in one concert. Today we’ll just unveil the curtain, happy birthday, a talented musician!” she addressed the pianist.

The jazz evening was warm at home. The performances of the musicians caused strong emotions among the audience. Jazz lovers applauded loudly and did not want to let the artists off the stage.

The musician's manner of performance is distinguished by an organic complex of elements of the classical piano school, traditional jazz, Cool jazz, and World Music. E. Borets is the author of music for theatrical productions of “Crazy Money”, “Locust” of the Moscow Drama Theater named after A. Pushkin, the films “Children of Vanyukhin”, “Point”, the series “Apostle”, and others.

Well-known compositions sounded at the evening. Thus, E. Borets, in the company of musician Andrey Makarevich, performed a song known to many from the movie “Once Upon a Time in America”. The highlight of the concert was the birthday duet with theater and film actor Daniil Spivakovsky. The actor read an excerpt from the work of Sergey Dovlatov, “Blues for Natella” to the accompaniment of the piano.

There were surprises, of course. On a festive evening, the hero of the day was awarded a medal for serving the art. Famous composers Sofia Gubaidullina, Rustem Yakhin, opera singer Irina Arkhipova, and other prominent personalities have such awards.