‘The guitar is a practically perfect little symphony’ - Leo Brouwer, famous cuban composer. To continue the thought one can say a guitar quartet possesses an infinite variety of sound from an intimate soliloquy to a complex pattern of color and brightness of sound.
The Kharkov Guitar Quartet was founded in 2008 by a band of likeminded musicians and friends. The ensemble has already won the attention of judges of several international festivals and competitions:
International festival of contemporary academic music «Music without Borders» (Kharkiv, Ukraine 2010), «Guitar Spring Fest» (Odesa, Ukraine 2010), «Zhytomyr Musical Spring» (Zhytomyr, Ukraine 2012), Multidisciplinary international festival of contemporary art «GogolFest» (Kyiv, Ukraine 2012, 2013), «Kharkiv Assemblies» (Kharkiv, Ukraine 2012), Ukrainian National classical guitar festival «Autumn colors» (Rivne, Ukraine 2012), «Belgorod International Classical Guitar Competition» 1st place (Belgorod, Russia, 2012), International festival of contemporary music «Days of new music» (Kharkiv, Ukraine 2012, 2014), «Kropyvnytskyi» National festival of arts (Kropyvnytskyi, Ukraine 2017), Ukrainian guitar festival «GuitarVik» (Lviv, Ukraine 2018), International music festival «Odessa Classics» (Odesa, Ukraine 2018), international guitar festival «Myr-Grad» (Myrhorod 2018,2019), V International festival Southern Palmira (Odessa, Ukraine 2019), Plan B Fest (Kharkiv, Ukraine 2020)
The quartet has also collaborated on many projects with independent musicians and composers, poets, dances and painters actively participating in the cultural life of modern Ukraine as well as beyond it’s borders.
The main objective of the collective - to introduce the audience to the best examples of contemporary music art, capable of communicating with the listener in the live sound of the contemporary epoch.
Members: Sergii Gorkusha, Maksym Trianov, Iryna Polovynka, Andrii Brahin.
Sergii Gorkusha
Sergii Gorkusha was born in Vinitsa. He started to study the guitar at the age of 12 with I.A.Levitskaya. He graduated from the Zhytomyr musical college with A.Khodakovsky. Currently he studies at the Kharkiv National Kotlyarevsky University of Arts (prof. V.Dozenko).During his tenure at the University he became a laureate of several national and international guitar competitions and festivals: International competition ‘Silver Bell’ (Uzhgorod, Ukraine, 2008) - diploma; International guitar competition ‘GitAs-2009’ (Kiev, Ukraine) - 3rd place; ‘New Names’ (Kiev, Ukraine, 2009) - 1st place; International guitar competition (Belgorod, Russia, 2012) - 3rd place; Carpathian Region International Guitar Competition - 2013 (Budapest, Hungary) - 3rd place; Zhytomyr Musical Spring (Zhytomyr, Ukraine, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013); 'Days of new music' (Kharkiv, Ukraine, 2012); Chernigov Guitar Fest (Chernigov, Ukraine, 2013); '2 DAYS & 2 NIGHTS of new music' (Odessa, Ukraine, 2014).
Have collaborated with composer Richard Cameron-Wolfe - USA, Yo Spork - Netherlands, Eugene Stetsyuk - Russia, Andreji Kryzhanovskyi -Ukraine.
Maksym Trianov
Maksym Trianov was born in the south of Ukraine in Voznesensk, Nikolayev region. He studies music since the age of seven. He bagan studying classical guitar with the help of Y.I. Tymkovich in 1999. At the age of 13 he won his first musical competition. He continued his education at the Nikolayev musical collage and became a laureate of seven guitar competitions in the process. He finished music collage in 2007 with two specialities, classical and jazz guitar. In 2013 he graduated from the Kharkiv National Kotlyarevsky University of Arts (prof. V.Dozenko). Along side with his classical music career Maksym takes part in several Rock and Experimental musical projects, as well as contemporary poets, dance and theater collectives. His love is improvisation and electrical noise experiments. He released several albums of his music in Ukraine, Russia, Australia and Swizzerland. He has been performed alongside the best up and coming artists in Ukraine on some of the biggest stages in the country.
Iryna Polovynka
Iryna Polovynka was born in Mukachevo, Transcarpathian Region. Began to study guitar at the age of 10 with R.I. Kovordani. In 2008 finished the Uzhgorod music collage with P.Stulishenko. In 2013 graduated with a masters degree from the Kharkiv National Kotlyarevsky University of Arts (prof. V.Dozenko). Irina actively participates in different competitions, festivals and concerts: Chernigov Guitar Fest (Chernigov, Ukraine); V.K Petrov Guitar Art festival (Kharkiv Ukraine); The M.D. Sokolov International Competition of classical guitar - 3rd place (Kiev, Ukraine); International Guitar Conference (Kharkiv, Ukraine); Guitar Festival 'Autumn Colors' (Rovno, Ukraine).
Iryna is a founding member of the Kharkiv Guitar Quartet.
Andrii Brahin
Andrey Bragin has been studying the guitar more then 15 years. In 2006 he finished the Donetsk musical collage. In 2011 he graduated with a masters degree in classical guitar from the Kharkiv National Kotlyarevsky University of Arts (prof. V.Dozenko). During his studies he became the laureate of several ukranian national competitions and festivals: ‘Crystal Strings’ festival (Donetsk, Ukraine, 2005, 2006, 2009), V.K. Petrov Guitar Festival (Kharkov, Ukraine, 2009, 2010), International guitar conference (Kharkiv, Ukraine, 2010, 2012). In 2008 together with M. Trianov, A Chubarenko and R. Taranov he founded the Kharkiv Guitar Quartet.