Igor Rekhin (1941-); RUS   

Igor Rekhin was born in 1941 and received his principal musical education at the Moscow Gnessin School, in the composition class of Aram Khachaturian. He continued his education in Leningrad (St. Petersburg), at the State Conservatory, where he studied composition under Vladimir Tsytovich and Alexandre Pen-Chernov.

Mr. Rekhin is also a guitarist, and has devoted much of his compositional output to works for solo guitar, as well as works for guitar and orchestra. Among his most well-known compositions are his 24 Preludes and Fugues for guitar solo, featured here at the Classical Archives. He has also composed numerous guitar-based works for children, including the cycles Day by Day and Step by Step. His guitar works especially are performed frequently, not only in Russia, but likewise in Germany, Slovakia, and elsewhere.

Mr. Rekhin has also been active as a judge at music competitions around the world, and has worked as an administrator and writer for guitar-based entities: in 1998, for example, he founded the International Guitar Academy in Moscow; and in 1993 he became the musical editor for the Guitarist magazine in Russia, where he has published numerous articles.

In addition to his guitar works, Mr. Rekhin has also composed 2 ballets, several works for orchestra, and numerous chamber works - several of which are featured here at the Classical Archives.

Reviews

"The [24 Preludes and Fugues] cycle have a wide influence and high musical quality, and give the guitarist an unrivaled opportunity to align his performance with other traditional concert tools, such as compositional cycles for the solo piano."

Schweinfurt News (Germany)

"Igor Rekhin's guitar music is defined by a combination of lyrical, melodic writing and precise construction... It is surprising that no one in history had previously thought of writing [a cycle of 24 Preludes and Fugues for guitar solo]... Continuing the great tradition of Segovia, Igor Rekhin has found a new means of writing polyphonic music for the guitar..."

Le cahiers de la guitarre (France)