Artists
who's who and who's doing what?Evelina Petrova
line up
- Evelina Petrova (accordion)
- country:Russian Federation
- region or city:Eastern Europe
- style(s):Contemporary World
- label:Leo Records
- type:Solist, Composer/Songwriter
- gender:female
- instrumentation:instrumental, vocal
- artist submitted by:
The solo concerts of St. Petersburg based Evelina Petrova are true heart warming experiences. This young lady blends Russian folk music, classical and quite avant-garde improvised music in her playing. There are also elements of Jewish Kletzmer tradition and East-European brass music in it. There's such a big amount of power, primitive drive and creativity in her concerts that it is hard to believe that all that music comes from one woman and accordion only.
Petrova utilizes in a great manner the possibilities of both her own voice and accordion, and, at the same time breaks the limits of the traditional expression of both. The accordion in her hands is sometimes a percussion instrument, sometimes one can hear pure, technically excellent accordion music. Her voice is her second instrument: she screams, laughs, wails, growls, barks, huffs and puffs. Although she performs in a sitting position, her performance is also kind of a dance.
She swings and sways, and the accordion hops and leaps in her hands. It's almost a shamanistic ritual which sends shivers down your spine.
Evelina's solo concerts are usually based on her 12-piece compositional suite Yearly Circle which reflects the feelings and moods of the twelve months of a year. This suite was released on a CD by Leo Records in 2004. Furthermore Petrova also has a repertoire of the history of tango reaching from the traditionalists Malando and Karlos Gardel through Italian movie tangos up to modern Astor Piazzolla works and new St.Petersburg style Viktor Sobolenko tangos.
Evelina Petrova was born in an industrial city close to St. Petersburg but lived most of her childhood with her grand mother in the country side. It was actually just her grand mother who forced Evelina to study music in a local music school where she took up accordion at the age of twelve. Later on she continued her studies in St. Petersburg and graduated from the St. Petersburg State Conservatory in 2002.
From the late 1990s on she has performed a lot with her former teacher from St. Petersburg Theatre and Music Academy, trumpeter Vyacheslav Gayvoronsky. The duo has made two CDs and concerts throughout Europe and for example a 12-concert tour in Japan back in 2001. In 1998 the duo got a special prize for original music in an international competition devoted to Astor Piazzolla in Italy. The following year the Russian jazz critics announced Petrova as the Star of the Year.
During the past few years Petrova has made solo concerts e.g. in France, Belgium, Slovenia and Finland and has performed in many renowned clubs and festivals such as Bimhuis in Amsterdam and Bath International Jazz Festival in England (both in 2005). In November - December 2005 she made a 4-week tour in England, Holland and Belgium.
Evelina Petrova is a Phenomenon who is here to stay and of whom we will hear a lot more in the future
Ian Anderson of Evelina Petrova:
Evelina Petrova is a rare find in a world of ever-repeating, inward-spiraling popular music. This bright flame shoots off at a wild tangent from the safe traditions of folk music and challenges the most avant-garde of contemporary classical composers.
Frank Zappa meets Valkyrie Handmaiden-on-testosterone. Banshee wailing over complex chording and lightening melodic ripples. Big, powerful, yet often delicate and feminine, Evelina toys with her audience, scary grunting one minute and scattergun girly crooning the next. Her accordion playing is scholarly and masterful while evoking comparisons with the folky, improvisational excellence of close neighbour, the Finnish maestro, Maria Kalaniemi.
Having had the brief pleasure of her musical and personal company as a guest with me on stage recently in St.Petersburg, Russia, I can confidently predict her effect on audiences everywhere. She will assault your ears, heart and soul in short order and redefine your perception of stark femininity at its most primitive level.
Evelina (Evelyn) Petrova's first solo album is 'Year's Cycle' - a collection of songs reflecting the months of the year in music and song. With lyrics based often on traditional Russian folk songs and music mostly from Evelina herself, the combination is magic. Settle back with some iced Stolichnaya Vodka, close your eyes, open your ears and feel the pulse of Mother Russia as her seasons go by...
Ian Anderson, Jethro Tull, April 2005
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