Alek­sey Igudes­man and Hyung-ki Joo are two clas­si­cal musi­cians who have taken the world by storm with their unique and hilar­i­ous the­atri­cal shows, which com­bine com­edy with clas­si­cal music and pop­u­lar cul­ture. Their clips on YouTube, to date, have gath­ered over 15 mil­lion hits, and they have appeared live on tele­vi­sion in sev­eral coun­tries, includ­ing an exclu­sive inter­view for CNN.

Equally com­fort­able per­form­ing in clas­si­cal con­cert halls, as well as in sta­di­ums in front of crowds of 18,000, their uni­fied dream is to make clas­si­cal music acces­si­ble to a wider and younger audience. Aleksey Igudesman and Richard Hyung-ki Joo have been working together since their very first meeting, at the age of 12, when they were pupils of the Yehudi Menuhin School. Very much inspired by Menuhin, their unified dream was to bring classical music to a larger audience.

Now, years later, following in the footsteps of luminaries such as Victor Borge, Dudley Moore, and even Glenn Gould, they have created a ground-breaking show that defies categorization and by marrying humour with music, they have come closer to realizing their dream.

December 31, 2011:
World Record of the Most Dancing Violinists

Igudesman and Joo searched the world and recruited the greatest dancing violinists who travelled at their own expense to create a world record of the Igudesman and Joo “Most Dancing Violinists” for UNICEF. Conducted by legendary Bond actor and UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador Sir Roger Moore, and ably assisted by the violin virtuoso Julian Rachlin, the Morrison Jig came alive in a unique way as they created the world record they journeyed so far and wide to achieve. Keep them dancing in perpetuity by donating to UNICEF in honor of UNICEF Austria’s 50th Birthday and the world record.

Where is the Remote Control?

We live in an age in which the market economy tyrannizes over art. The quality of an artwork is judged by the quantity of sales. We all squint at the sales-volume statistics, the chart placement and the commercial media presence. The more popular, the better. Everyone wants to be a superstar! But in consequence, we all too often lose sight of the true meaning of music: the uplifting union of feeling and intellect, the intimate and profoundly emotional expression of the soul. The humour project BEING GIDON KREMER takes a critical and entertaining look at classical music through a magnifying glass. By means of this close-up, they hope to achieve a healthy distance from all forms of commercial dumbing-down. So lets laugh together about whats laughable, and marvel afresh at musics endless marvels!
Gidon Kremer and the Kremerata Baltica, Aleksey Igudesman and Richard Hyung-ki Joo wish you a wonderful musical journey:

Elaborating on musical styles: Alla Molto Turca…

The Youtube classic: Rachmaninov had really BIG hands…

“The funniest show on music and the life of musicians I have seen since the great Victor Borge. I couldnt stop crying of laughter for the whole evening. Go see these gifted musicians. What they show is life at its funniest side. It isn‘t just entertaining, it is hilarious!”
- Gidon Kremer – violinist

Igudesman and Joo are not only musical virtuosi but also comic maestros. Any thing they touch turns to gold and I am enchanted by them every time I see them. Definitely one of the funniest and most entertaining shows I have ever seen and I can’t wait to see them again in action!”
- Mischa Maisky – cellist

Website: igudesmanandjoo.com

Here is an excerpt with the excellent pianist Mihail Pletnev and the Berlin Philharmonic.

Alexander Melnikov had close artistic ties with the late Sviatoslav Richter, who regularly invited him to participate in his festivals in Moscow (December Nights) and his chamber music festival in La Grange de Meslay (Tours, France). In recital, Melnikov appears regularly at the world’s leading concert halls and festivals, and has performed with numerous renowned orchestras and conductors. He was featured as a BBC New Generation Artist from 2000 to 2002.

Audio samples from Amazon.

Chopin – Preludes op 28 no 6 and 7
Clementi – Sonatinas op 36 no 2 and 3
Handel – Minuet in G HWV 450
Hummel – Rondo
Köhler – Sonatina op 300
Lemoin – op 37 no 3 and 6
Mozart – Sorrow March K453a
Mozart – Minuet in F K94
Mozart – Rondo in F K15hh
Oesten – op 155 no 2 and 4
Rachmaninoff – Prelude c#-minor op 3 no 2
Rameau – Minuet in C
Satie – Three Gymnmopedies
Schumann – Wiegenlied op 124 no 6

All recorded in Swedish Radio, Studio 3 on Steinway model D.