Billboard award winner and laureate of numerous jazz contests, Evgeny Lebedev quickly established himself as one of the most promising young pianists in today’s jazz scene. For such a small career Evgeny already performed and recorded with luminaries like Jack De Johnette, Marcus Miller, Terri Lyne Carrington, David Sanchez, David Fiuczynski and participated in prestigious festivals, including North Sea Jazz Festival, Lionel Hampton Jazz Festival, Tanglewood Jazz Festival and more. Evgeny appears on more than 10 CD’s and released two albums under his own name, that were highly marked by critics in Japan, USA and Russia.
Evgeny Lebedev was born in 1984 in Moscow. Growing up in Russia, Evgeny’s musical background consisted of Russian Folk music, which was often played in his household. Inspired by his family, Evgeny took up the accordion at age of 8. Since than, he was performing folk music in various prestigious music festivals and won several accordion contests. At the age of 15, driving under the influence of jazz music, Evgeny began studying piano and immediately fell in love with it. Between 1999 and 2001 he attended the Moscow College of Arts where he studied under Evgeny Grechischev. In 2002, Evgeny entered Gnessins' Russian Academy of Music where he studied under internationally acclaimed professor/performer Igor Brill. Evgeny has taken part in the following jazz festivals: Jazz at the Hermitage Garden (Moscow 2000, 2005, 2006, 2007); Eurasia (Orenburg, Russia, 2001 and 2002); International Jazz Festival in Minsk, Belarus (2002); VI International Moscow Jazz Festival in memory of Willis Connover (2001); Russian Night in Davos (Switzerland 2005); Lionel Hampton Jazz Festival (USA 2005); North Sea Jazz Festival (Rotterdam, Netherlands), Usadba Jazz Festival (Moscow,Russia); Tanglewood Jazz Festival (USA 2009),performed in Germany, England, Switzerland, Netherlands. Evgeny received awards at the Moscow Jazz Festival of Young Performers in 1999 and 2001. He holds a diploma from the New Names Charity Foundation. In 2004, he entered Berklee College of Music on scholarship, where he studied with Hal Crook, Danilo Perez, Joe Lovano, JoAnne Brackeen. Evgeny is the second prize winner and silver medal holder of the 1st Moscow International Competition of Jazz Performers (piano).
“On the piano and musical continuum, you couldn't get much farther away from boogie-woogie and stride than Evgeny Lebedev, a Russian-born recent Berklee graduate. The post-modern, polymetric, high intensity arrangements of his compositions were like a refined, rarefied acoustic Meshugah. Lebedev's comfort with complex rhythmic patterns is no wonder since they are a key element in Eastern European music.”
“Lebedev, an accomplished pianist, is a highly lyrical, astute player with sweet edges, but the trio, an integrated, communicative unit supported by the taut, fierce drumming of Lee Fish.”
“Tinges of Eastern Europe are obvious in his playing at times, but so is Keith Jarrett. Lebedev is definitely classically trained.”
“I Hear A Rhapsody" has been recorded by many jazz greats (including Evans and Hall on Undercurrent), but Evgeny Lebedev manages to put his own twist on it. It feels fresh again.”
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