 Boris Kurganov was born in 1961, on May 25th, in the city of Omsk (Siberia).
At the age of six, he began his studies in a specialized musical school majoring in violin. Then he went on to musical college to study oboe. Later, Boris studied alto saxophone at Moscow State Institute of Culture.
In 1985, during Tudenti Jazz festival in Tallinn (Estonia), he made his professional debut, performing in duo with Arkady Figlin (piano).
In 1988, he started performing with Allegro, one of Russia's most famous jazz collectives to date (led by pianist and composer Nick Levinosky, now New York resident).
The same year Boris played a number of concerts with the band led by India's most famous jazz musician - fusion violinist Lakshminarayana Subramaniam during the latter's Russian tour. Boris also played on "Time must change", L.Subramaniam's Russian LP released by Melodia, USSR's recording monopoly. In 2000, Russian label Boheme Music re-released that album in CD format.
In 1989, Boris performed at Copenhagen(Denmark) annual jazz festival.
In 1991, "Allegro" group played several concerts in Norway cities (Oslo and Elverum ). The same year, Boris Kurganov was invited to join The Moscow Sax Quintet (MSQ) led by Vladimir Zaremba as a soloist. With MSQ he toured Germany. Then Boris was invited to the IAJE (International Association of the Jazz Educators) conference in San Antonio, Texas. He performed in Houston,TX, Mobile, Alabama, and New York in 1993.
In 1990-1992, Boris taught at Gnessins Music College in Moscow and Moscow State Institute of Culture.
During the 90s, he played as a soloist with several bands in Russia, including ensembles led by Muscivite bass player and producer Àlex Rostotsky, St.Petersburg's best piano player Andrey Kondakov and by Gregory Fine (piano). Boris also participated in the Ivanov Brothers Jazz project, and in Tràns Àtlàntic, one of Russia's best fusion bands.
He successfully performed in Russia (Nizhni Novgorod, Perm, Yaroslavl etc.), and abroad: Finland (Êuopiî, Jînitsu), Sweden (Stockholm, Skovde), France (Paris), and even in Ethiopia (Addis Ababa) and Burkina Faso(Ouagadougou).
The most important event for him was his participation at Copenhagen Jazz festival (with Nick Levinovsky's Allegro, 1990) and Montreal Jazz festival (with Gregory Fine quartet, 1997).
Boris lives in New York City since 2000.
Contact: bkurganov@hotmail.com
Discography:
L.Subramaniam - "Time must change", 1989, Melodia (LP); 2000, Boheme Music (CD)
Andrey Kondakov, Victor Dvoskin - "Deserted park", 1993, Melodia
NEW Andrey Kondakov, Sergio Brandao, Cafe, Paolo Braga, Paul Bollenback, Boris Kurganov - "Old And New Brazilian Tales"
Landy Star / Jazzland, 2000
Dance With Crocodile
Brazilian Heart
Moving With Windows Open
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