Nikolay Goloschapov

A well-known and loved by the jazz society jazz-man, the creator and art director of Odessa big-band Nikolay Goloschapov has been the Head of the Jazz faculty of Odessa Art and Culture College by K.F. Dankevich. Nikolay Yakovlevich is full of strength, the source of which, he is sure, is art.

Goloschapov says, “When you come on stage fatigue leaves you, and some inner energy appears! Perhaps it happens thanks to the energetic connection with the audience — I feel the breath of every spectator, who comes to listen to jazz.”

Mikhail Mitropolsky

Being a scientific associate of the Physics Institute of RAS (Russian Academy of Science) Mikhail Mitropolsky dedicated 20 years of his life to space physics; but for more than 30 years now he has been studying jazz music. In 1978 he gave up science 'of all the matters' and started lecturing, first on history, then on jazz stylistics. Nowadays he is a member of Moscow and International Jazz Journalists' Association (JJA) and is being published in magazines 'Jazz-kvadrat' («Джаз-квадрат»), 'Jat'” («Ять»), and «XXL».

“Jazz in its best is always art, which gives the person the opportunity to choose”', says Mikhail Mitropolsky, who has made his choice towards jazz.

Kirill Moshkov

The publisher and main editor of the magazine about jazz “Jazz.Ru” («Джаз.Ру») and the portal www.jazz.ru, who regularly tells about the jazz situation in Russia and all round the world. His publication could be found in the world oldest jazz magazine «Down Beat» and on the leading web-portal AllAboutJazz.

These days Kirill is the author of several jazz books in “non-fiction” style, among them “Jazz industry in America” («Индустрия джаза в Америке»), published by Petersburg publishing house “Music Planet” («Планета музыки») in 2008—the first original (non-translated and compiled from various sources) book about the jazz life in America in Russian.

In his book “Second Century of Wonderful Music (the short history of jazz for beginners)” («Второе столетие удивительной музыки (краткая история джаза для начинающих)» Kirill writes, “There is one type of musical art, which I would like to name as the most mysterious...In their loathe to this music Hitler and Stalin were united. To play this music in Germany meant to be “the promoter of negro-Jewish cacophony”, and in the USSR--”the agent of world imperialism”. For six decades the best musicians have been fighting for bringing this music out of the nightclubs into the concert halls, and the fighting still runs with unsteady success. What kind of music is this? Its name is JAZZ.”

Felix Kohriht

Odessa resident in the fifth generation. Captivated by Jazz at an early age - after watching the movie "Let George Do It” and finally after the" Sun Valley Serenade" and "Jolly Fellows".
Philology graduate of Odessa National University Mechnikov, he is a journalist from his youth. The main specialization is art and culture. He is the author of many publications and television programs about jazz. Currently he is the editor of the anthology "Deribasovskaya - Rishelyevskaya", manager of the author’s TV program “Sobesednik” (Interlocutor), editor of "Odessa Library". He is a member of creative unions, winner of professional awards. In the 90-s he was one of the founders and the president of the Center of Contemporary Art "Tierce" and CCA Odessa under the auspices of George Soros.
Felix Kohriht is among the founders of the first jazz club in Odessa, he was a member of organizing committees of the international jazz festivals in Odessa. In 1988 he was a delegate to the founding congress of the Soviet Jazz Federation (Moscow), was elected a member of its Central Council. He was a member of the International Jazz Federation of UNESCO.
On his bookshelf there are books with autographs of famous colleagues: Fred Starr, Vladimir Feiertag, Alexei Batashov, Vladimir Simonenko. He is proud of a long friendship with jazz luminaries (in alphabetical order) - Anatoly Vapirov, Alexei Kozlov, Yuri Kuznetsov, Nikolay Levinovsky, Vladimir Rezitsky, Vladimir Tarasov, Vladimir Chekasin, Leonid Chizhik.

Elena Shevchenko

Art director of “Ragtime” jazz club and the professor-methodologist of Odessa Art and Culture College by K.F. Dankevich, Elena organizes and leads concerts and jazz music festivals, is the International Journalists' Union member and the author of articles on jazz theory and history (more than 200 publications in mass media). Since its start Elena has been the author and the editing board member of the only specialized Ukrainian magazine “Jazz”. She also broadcasts jazz message into Odessa air and has created more than 1,500 jazz radio programs.

Elena admits that in the list of her interests are modern literature, teaching, sport, cinema and travelling. “But on the first place is by all means jazz, so lively and so different. As life itself.”

Anatoly Kroll

A member of Composers' Union (1989) and and Cinematographers' of Russia (1997), one of the most respectful conductors, composers and piano players of Russian jazz and variety, Anatoly Kroll began his professional career in his youth (when he was 15 years old) as a pianist and band leader in Chelyabinsk Philharmonics (1959).

In the 60s he was already the youngest conductor (music leader) of the State Uzbekistan Variety orchestra (1960-1962), and in 1963 created his own jazz-orchestra in Tula Philharmonics. Within 7 years of its existence this orchestra has given to the music world such famous jazz musicians as the trumpet player V.Guseynov, saxophone players A. Pischikov, S, Grigoryev, R.Kunsman, and also Valentina Ponomareva (the People's Artist of Russia) and Vladimir Makarov (Honored Artist of Russia).

Today Anatory Kroll's jazz band is the permanent and welcomed guest on TV and radio. “Experience and young energy are two major components of success, not only in life, but also in music” states Kroll.

Vladimir Tarasov

Member of Latvia Composers' Union, Vladimir Tarasov creates music for orchestras, films and theatres. These include Staatstheater in Stutgard, Majestic Theater of Bruklin Music Academy (New York), Meyerhold Centre in Moscow and the Arte in Paris. Throughout many years Vladimir worked with Lithuania Symphony Orchestra, and now lectures in Podeville-centre in Berlin, Bremen Music Academy and Art Academies in Orlean (France), Dusseldorf and Vilnius. A short time ago he issued the book “Trio”, dedicated to his work in the jazz-music trio called “GTCh” (Viacheslav Ganelin, Vladimir Tarasov, Vladimir Chekasin). It was in this trio that he became a musician-improviser. During those years Tarasov recorded and issued more than 100 records and CDs.

He says, “The fact of discovering “independent” thinking musicians will mean a lot to the development of improvisational music.”

Bernard Struber

Being the Head of jazz department of Strasbourg Conservatory, the leader of innovatory band «Jazztett» and a tireless jazz experimenter , the French musician Bernard Struber is famous not only for his brave arrangements of Frank Zappa's melodies. Bernard created music for a ballet in Rein Opera and is the author of a famous Jazz oratorio in Strasbourg Cathedral. But he doesn't say about himself anything other than this, “I am a self-taught man in music, as I learnt how to play the guitar and organ. I believe that a lot of schools should be replaced by libraries. Besides, could one really teach jazz?”

Andrey Machnev

Teacher of Jazz School Kim Nazaretov (Rostov-on-Don). Saxophonist, composer, arranger. Participant of “New Centropezn jazz-quartet”. Prize-winner of the All-Russian competition of jazz performers. Prize-winner of the European competition of jazz ensembles. Conductor of “East-Westjazzorchestra”. He worked with such stars of the world of jazz as Dave Liebman, Jerry Bergonzy, Dennis Rowland, Melba Joyce, Frank Marocco. Leader of children's big band jazz school. The orchestra for 15 years of its existence repeatedly became prize-winner of jazz festivals — “Horizons of jazz“, Krivoy Rog, “Jazz Parnas”, St. Petersburg, “Jazz-Carnival”, Odessa, “Blaсk Sea” and «Aqua-Jazz”, Sochi, “Jazz at the Hermitage Garden”, Moscow, “Jazz-Time», Soligorsk (Belarus), “Internationales Jugendmusikfestival”, Bad Arolsen (Germany). He participated in the anniversary concert of jazz masters Anatoly Kroll and Igor Bril. In 2010, Andrey Machnev won the All-Russian contest "The best teacher of the year".

Valeri Grohovski

Valeri Grohovski owns bright multifaceted talent of composer, arranger and performer, permanently demonstrating brilliant piano performing technic of classical music as well as jazz improvisation. He is the author of programs “Bach in jazz” and “Mozart in jazz”, which got world-wide prominence. Valeri Grohovski finished Gnessin institute. He won the prestigious international contest named after Busoni in Italy, released 20 classical music albums. With his jazz trio he performs as a soloist, collaborates with such prominent Russian jazzmen as George Garanian and Daniel Kramer, Anatoliy Kroll and Igor Butman, Sergey Manukyan and Igor Boyko… During 10 years he was teaching in Texas university, organized festivals, collaborated with numerous international performers. He is an author and performer of music for films «Watchers» (USA), «Aphrodisia» (France), «My Gradiva» (Russia-USA).