Curiosity, vivid imagination, passion for travel, and new experiences – are all things that define an open-minded musician. Such is the case with KeyReel, who has traveled and experienced foreign cultures, which has allowed him to broaden his knowledge and confidence in his own way. His experiences have inspired his music, which in turn shines through his performances and inspires audiences all over the globe. Coming from a generous and sunny Uzbekistan – that determined creative way of thinking and zest for life are the basis for a man of the arts.
Keyreel was interested in music from the age of two, playing vinyl records over and over. At the age of six, it was discovered that Keyreel had perfect pitch, and he entered the V.A. Uspensky Republican Central Special Music School to study violin and, later, composition and symphony conducting. He wrote his first composition at the age of eight, and four years later, he gave a local radio interview and performed his first work. At seventeen, he earned the highest score on entrance exams to Gnesin’s Russian Academy of Music and was accepted to study violin under Professor Kh. Akhtyamova. He also attended the class for quartets under the tutelage of Professor V. Berlinsky, the founder and soul of the Borodin String Quartet.
He finished Uspensky school in 2000 (Tashkent, Uzbekistan) with diplomas in violin performance, composition, and symphony conducting. KeyReel graduated from the Gnesin’s Russian Academy of Music in 2005 (Moscow, Russia) with bachelor’s and master’s degrees in violin performance and pedagogy and from TCU School of Music in 2018 (Fort Worth, TX) with an artist diploma in violin performance.
Keyreel was eager to learn as much as he possibly could, and attended festivals and workshops in France, Belgium, Holland, and other places throughout Europe. During this time, he never stopped writing music, and his works have been performed and recorded in the Great Hall of the Gnesin’s Academy, The Moscow House of Composers, McKinney Performance hall and at Texas Christian University.
He has performed with the State Symphony Cinema Orchestra, Pavel Slobodkin’s Center Chamber Orchestra, and also arranged music for the Sonore chamber music ensemble and the Just Enjoy String Band. KeyReel is an active member of several orchestras around DFW, including Las Colinas, Plano, Irving symphony and a core member of Chaverim chamber music ensemble with Boriana Savova.
Keyreel is extremely versatile in his playing styles, mastering classical playing and Celtic tradition. Keyreel is the first-ever Russian finalist in the prestigious All-Ireland Fleadh in Tullamore. He has attended many folk music festivals as a student, including Alasdair Fraser’s Fiddle Courses on the Isle of Skye (Scotland) in 2010 and 2012. In 2013, he was one of the creators of Celtic-Music.ru, a website about Celtic Music life in Russia, and that summer, he gave an interview to the Celtic Life Magazine. Cape Breton Fiddler Association annual festival invited KeyReel as a special guest in 2013. In Moscow, he was a member of four different bands playing traditional Celtic music and bluegrass. The Glasach Trio, one of his projects, was Moscow-based and toured concerts in the U.K. in 2014. He was also a guest artist at the Celtic Colours Festival in the Fall of 2016. As a fiddle player, he played with the Reel Treble band at the North Texas Irish Festival in 2018 and 2019. Also, as a core member of Three Pints and a Glass, he played at the same festival in 2019. Currently, I am a member of the Celtic Standard Time duo with Alex Hand on guitar.
Traditional Celtic fiddle is not KeyReel’s only interest other than classical violin. He has an award in the Bob Wills Texas fiddle competition in 2015, Greenville, TX. Occasionally, he plays swing and jazz music in DFW with Glen McLaughlin Band, Two-bit swing band, Kim Platko, Jason Jones, Alex Hand, Ben Katzen, and others.
Currently, KeyReel has his own company, KeyReel Music, which provides music entertainment for events and other music services, including education in DFW. He is the founder and director of North Texas Celtic Strings, a learn-by-ear program. Moreover, he is the founder, arranger, and 5-string violin player for a new project that will be announced soon.
