Crystal Harmony

Monday, March 2, 2009

Pavlo

Trio performing on Glasharp, Verrophon & Glass Flute

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The ensemble Crystal Harmony was founded in 2001 by three young musicians from far Siberia. Igor Sklyarov, Timofey Vinkovsky and Vladimir Perminov play on unusual musical instruments. They are made of glass and are referred to as Verrophon, Glasharp and Glass-Flute.

In their repertoire, there are variations of popular classical melodies of Mozart, Boccerini, Vivaldi, and also the original products written specially for a crystal harmonic (Mozart, Glinka). Mysterious, gentle sounding crystal instruments allow us to experience known melodies in a new fashion. They open secret, unexpected sides of classical musical pieces.

The ensemble, Crystal Harmony is the winner of many musical festivals and competitions. The Barnaul musicians enjoy performing in cities of Russia, Europe, and Japan. There is a long-term contract with the firm, Event Consulting (Italy), and they also have an arrangement with a museum of the Venetian glass in Japan about annual performances.

One journalist once asked the musicians for the secret of extracting sounds from a glass. "It is very important how fingers adjoin to glass. It is a skill of touches," is the musicians’ answer.

Igor Sklyarov (Glasharp) was born in 1968 in Barnaul (Altai region). He studied in music school and music college for a Master of Performance degree on the accordion. In 1992, Igor received his degree at the Novosibirsk Conservatory (his teacher is Professor G.P.Chernichka). He has played with the national orchestra, Siberia. In 1998, he began the hobby of playing the Glasharp and jokes that playing “glassmusic” confirms his surname ("skl'yanka" means glasswares in Russian).

Timofey Vinkovsky (Verrophon) was born in 1967 in Shipunovo (Altai region). He studied at a special music school at the Novosibirsk Conservatory, followed by the Barnaul Music School on music theory. In 1991, he completed his studies at the Novosibirsk Conservatory with the same specialization. From 1999-2001, Timofey worked as an arranger at Schauspielhaus Theatre (Dusseldorf, Germany). The idea to play classical music on glasses came to Timofey in 1997. "It is possible to play Bach's pieces even on the instruments that remind one of a chemical laboratory!" said Timofey.

Vladimir Perminov (Glass-flute) was born in 1962 in Barnaul. His has had an eventful professional career. He has been engaged in music since childhood -- studying flute at a children's music school at age four. Then, he studied in the Barnaul Music School (his teacher was V.M. Bezrodnov), the Odessa State Conservatory (professor S.I.Zakorsky), and Krasnoyarsk Institute of Arts (Senior Lecturer, A.V.Ivanov). In 1995, Vladimir was trained in the Summer Academy of Ancient Music in Innsbrook (Austria). He has played in the symphonic orchestra of the Altay State Philarmonic Society, a symphonic orchestra of the Odessa Regional Philarmonic Society, and the Altay Theatre for a musical comedy. He was part of an ensemble of ancient music, "Ars Longa." Vladimir has performed with such groups as The Petersburg Mosaic and the St. Petersburg Stars. He has toured across Poland, Yugoslavia, Germany, Austria, Spain, China, Malta. Now, Vladimir Perminov is a member of a symphonic orchestra of the State Philarmonic Society of Altai territory, part of the Itkulsky Quintet, and certainly he is part of the Crystal Harmony ensemble (2005), where he plays on a Glass-flute (sounding as a bass).