iDuo

iDuo came into being in 2007, when the brilliant young pianists Andrey Gugnin and Vadym Kholodenko combined their skills as soloists to form a vibrant new piano duo. In their very first year of concert appearances, touring Russia and Italy, iDuo was praised for stunning performances, and was a prizewinner in the 2008 San Marino competition. Listening to Andrey and Vadym reminds us that the great Russian tradition in piano playing is very much alive and well. Both international competition winners since childhood, they play as if this music were a discovery, as if it had been written yesterday, ripe for a fresh vision. They make four hands at one piano sound like wonderful fun. Their zest and vigor, always balanced by fine nuance, is contagious. The rarely-heard Rachmaninoff Op. 11 Suite is captivating in iDuo’s hands, as is Debussy’s well-loved “Petite Suite.” Ravel’s “Rapsodie Espagnole” is colorful and exciting, and the “Mother Goose” Suite works its magic with deceptive simplicity. As Andrei and Vadym write to their listeners in a brief introduction, “Have a good time!”