50 Shades of Clarinet
Jevgenij Taruntsov and Timofei Kazantsev
The clarinet is perhaps the only wind instrument capable of rivaling the violin and the human voice in richness of color and expressive flexibility. Jevgenij Taruntsov and Timofei Kazantsev invite the audience to hear how the voice of the clarinet has evolved together with music itself: from early classical variations — still formal in structure, yet already full of wit and playfulness — through the freedom of Romanticism and the refined sound world of the fin de siècle, to the music of the 20th and 21st centuries, where the instrument reveals entirely new possibilities.
The program features works that have become an essential part of the clarinet repertoire: Weber’s variations and Brahms’s sonata, alongside original transcriptions of Romantic miniatures and impressionistic fantasies. At the heart of the concert is the partnership between clarinet and piano — not soloist and accompaniment, but two equal voices that converse, challenge one another, and unexpectedly merge into a single sound.
Alongside established classics, the audience will also hear original compositions, including world premieres. This evening offers a chance not only to follow the history of the clarinet, but also to experience the living dialogue between two instruments through which familiar music can be heard anew.
Performers
Evgeny Taruntsov is a clarinetist and singer. After completing his musical training in Odessa, he performed on stages in Bremen, Berlin, Saarbrücken, Klagenfurt, Riga, Zagreb, and other European cities, playing a wide-ranging repertoire—from Mozart and Verdi to Berlioz, Tchaikovsky, and Tan Dun. Today he lives with his family in Chemnitz. He possesses the rare ability to discover the unexpected even in the most familiar and well-known works. Evgeny is constantly improving his clarinets, sometimes developing additional valves and technical solutions that are later adopted by other clarinet makers.
Timofei Kazantsev is a pianist, composer, and music producer. He studied in Novosibirsk with Meri Lebenzon, a student of Alexander Goldenweiser and a legendary figure in Novosibirsk’s piano music scene. Even as a teenager, he won prizes at international competitions. Concert tours took him to France, with performances in Nice, Toulon, Marseille, Aix-en-Provence, and at the Salle Cortot in Paris. From 2012 to 2015, he was the youngest soloist with the Novosibirsk Philharmonic, worked with the symphony orchestra, and devoted himself intensively to chamber music and the contemporary repertoire. In addition, he studied organ and historical keyboard instruments. He has lived in Germany since 2022, teaches at the music school on Thomas-Mann-Platz in Chemnitz, and performs soloist and chamber musician.