ルミィヤンツェフ アレェクスェイ

興味のあること

世界の古典文学、クラシック音楽、古い映画
PROFILE：ALEXEI　RUMIANTSEV

ragtime and jazz pianist, jazz organ player, composer and arranger

Alexei Rumiantsev was born in St. Petersburg, Russia on 31st May, 1969 to both engineer parents. His family name derives from the Russian word Rum(ianyi), meaning red cheek, red, rosy or beauty.

He showed musical ability from an early age, and began piano lessons at the age of six in order to learn the basic technique of the piano playing as well as the music theory under Mrs. Tatiana Tavrovskaya, who is considered to be a great tutor in Cherepovets, to where his parents moved due to their jobs. He obtained an excellent general education at the Music School for Children there until 1983.

Then he moved to his birthplace, St. Petersburg again to study at the Preparation School for the Saint Petersburg Conservatoire where he subsequently studied composition under Prof. Alexander Mnatsakanian. His eagerness for jazz made him take a jazz course at the Gnesin-High School in Moscow for a while, which was the only place where he could involve himself with jazz at that time. However, during his study he had to join the Soviet Army which sends him farther away from his family to the southern part of Soviet Union, Udmortia for two years. All the military practices were held under freezing cold circumstances from which he terribly suffered during this period, but fortunately he was set to the post of the upper musician being offered his own room with a piano to arrange some pieces for the military band where he also participated in as an alto horn player. Somehow he experienced and enjoyed a kind of the superiority complex by being treated better than others.

Shortly after the fall of Soviet Union, most of his close friends left for Germany to study. In addition to his music abilities, he had good German knowledge and skills since he had learnt it for nine years at school. Without hesitation he also decided to go to Germany to take entrance examinations at a couple of faculties, which he all passed.

In 1992 he went to Germany to study both classic composition (under　Prof. Christoph Meyer) and jazz piano (under Prof. John Taylor) at the Cologne Conservatoire winning scholarship of the German firm for both subjects. There he composed and arranged for many artistes who would later find fame including many of his Russian friends.

After having studied in Germany for eight years he went back to Cherepovets where he was engaged to work both as a pianist and as an arranger while he got opportunity to play for Russian National Theater and Circus in addition to performing with the Russian Folks Orchestra and leading Russian Jazz, Dixie and Rock Band with his own arrangements. This was the first time in his life that he could embark on a dual career as a concert pianist and composer (arranger) without any other concern.

He participated in many international jazz and composition festivals, appeared in the mass media in different countries and gave concerts mainly in Europe, Russia and Japan. There are many radio recordings and performances both inside Russia and outside.

While his reputation as composer is unfamilier in some countries, Rumiantsev's skill as pianist is well-known and highly respected everywhere. It was only when he met Japanese ragtime collector, Giichi Oya in 2003 that he began to concentrate more seriously on ragtime.

Because he is said to be one of the greatest pianists of his generation, having legendary technical facilities and rhythmic drive, mastering both classic and jazz elements, he can always play ragtime piano tunes as a soloist without any musicians to support him. Moreover, his large hands were able to cover an wide interval on the piano and made him easier to play in Harlem stride style which is very unique and rare nowadays and is amazingly amusing for the public. Therefore, he is fully booked all the year around.

But his love for arranging and writing parts for each instrument pushes him forward with performances with his band or with his future ragtime orchestra. For him there is no time to lose. He also encouraged his wife to sing rare but very amusing and funny ragtime songs in order to give concerts together regularly in a different livespots all over Japan. In this way he does not feel lonesome nor find his routine piano-solo-jobs boring.

He also plays on the jazz organ with one octave pedal moving both feet impressively quickly to give groove and swing feeling. He is very familier with early blues and Gospel tunes as well as romantic or melancholy ballads. His repertoire covers hot Latin, cool modern and swinging jazz standard breaking away his image from an orthodox classic pianist by showing more flexibility.

He lives in Kawasaki, Japan at the moment and is married to a Yokohama-born-Japanese, Hiromi Rumiantseva, who is involved in many different professions such as journalist, translator, linguist, language teacher, presenter, organizer, manager, jazz and ragtime vocalist.

His dream is to form the first real ragtime orchestra in Japan, which surprisingly does not exist at this point in time, gathering both classic and jazz musicians who could create and share a new world with him. It will surely send one back to the 19th-century America. He always knows his duty in life and keeps going on his way as long as there is music.