NIGHT FOREST

'WHEN M Y LIFE WAS HARD O N M E , I WENT TO HIKE ALO NE , AWAY FROM THE C ITY N O I S E AND L IFE PROB LEM S , EXPLAIN S B E S HEVLI , REVEAL ING TH AT AS HE TRAVEL S A C HANGE I S UNDERTAKEN IN APPROAC H TO HI S M U S I C , AS HE AC Q UIRE S CO LO URS TH AT DIFFER FRO M P LAC E TO PLAC E THE RE CO RD 'S O PENING TITLE-TRAC K SKILFU L LY C APTURE S THI S; AS B E S HEVL I, IN C LINED TO TEMP O AND TE X TURE C HANGE S , TRAN S P O RTS THE LI STENER FROM A Q UI C KENING AND DRA M ATI C SO UND SC APE WHI C H THEN BREAKS IN TO A C AL MER M O RE S ERENE C H O RU S. B E S HEVL I WAS BO RN INKRAS N OYARSK, O NE O F S I B ERIA' S B IGGE ST C ITIE S, IN A M U S I C AL H O U S EH O LD : HI S FATHER A PRO FE SS I O NAL COM P OS ER AND HI S M OTHER A MU S I CO LO GI ST. DE S PITE HI S BAC KG RO UN D, B E S HEVLI DI S LIKED STU DYING MU S I C; STRUGG L ING TO M AIN TAIN AT TENTI O N SAT AT THE PIAN O WHIL ST FRIEND S ENJ OYED THE O UTD OO RS . IT WAS N 'T UNTIL THE AGE O F 21 TH AT HE STARTED PLAYING AGAI N, WHEN S U BSTITUTING F O R HI S GRANDMA WH O WAS WO RKING IN THE LOC AL NURS ERY. WITH N O INTERNET AND N OTHING IN PARTI C U LAR TO D O, AT TENTI O N INEVITAB LY TURNED TO THE NURS ERY'S PIAN O AND WH AT B E S HEVL I DE SC RI B E S AS 'SOM E SO RT O F DE STINY' EXPLAINING HI S C HAN C E RE-INTRO DU C TI O N TO PLAYING PIAN O, B E S HEVL I STATE S: ' N OT H AVING HIGHER M U S I C AL EDU C ATI O N I S G OO D AND BAD AT THE SAME TIME ; I FEEL LIKE I'M LAC KING BAS I C KN OWL EDGE, BUT O UR EDU C ATI O NAL SYSTEM U S UAL LY KI LLS THE INDIVIDUALITY. M AYB E I WO ULD H AVE B E COM E AN AC ADE M I C M U S I C IA N, BUT MOST PE O P L E WO U L D H AVE NEVER HEARD O F M E . NEVERTHE L E SS, I' M STU DYING AT M U S I C UNIVERS ITY AT THE M OM EN TAND WE' L L S EE WH AT THI S WI L L BRING ' B E S HEVLI' S DEPI C TS HI S EM OTI O N S AND L IFE E X PERIEN C E S TH AT ARE S HAPED BY HI S S URRO UNDING S AND REAC TI O N S TO THE M . I LYA' S B EAUTIFUL COM P OS ITI O N S H AVE B EEN COM PARED TO TH AT O F YANN TIERS EN AND LUD OVI CO EI NAUDI, BUT WITH HI S OWN DI STIN C TLY S I B ERIAN TAKE O N THE M O DERN C LASS I C AL GENRE . HI S E X PERT INTERTWINING O F DIFFERING MOO D S AND TE X TURE S P LAY O UT E X Q UI S ITE LY O N NIGHT F O RE ST. H AVING PERF O R M ED AC ROSS RU SS IA IN THE L IKE S O F THE KRAS N OYARSK STATE O PERA & BALL ET THEATRE , KRAS N OYARSK MU S EUM C ENTER AND THE REGI O NAL SC IENTIFI C LI BRARY - A 201 3 TO UR C U L MI NATED IN A GRAND SO LO CO N C ERT IN OC TOB ER WHERE HE P LAYED WITH THE A STRIN G EN S EM B LE TO A FU L L H O U S E IN THE WIDE LY RE S PE C TED KRAS N OYARSK REGI O NAL PHI L HAR MO NI C HAL L .