Léo Kushnir

Lev Kushnir (b. 1961) is a Russian jazz pianist from Astrakhan. He moved to Moscow in 1978 and entered the Moscow Institute of Steel and Alloys, at the same taking music classes at the jazz studio "Moskvorechye" with Yuri Markin. After graduation, Kushnir went to The Gnesins College to study with Mikhail Okun, getting his diploma in 1988. As a jazz musician, Lev debuted in Vladimir Konovaltsev's Moscow All Stars group in 1986-87. For the next two years, Kushnir was a member of Cadence, touring with the ensemble around the USSR and Europe and participating in Dizzy Gillespie Moscow concert. After Cadence had been disbanded, Lev played in a trio with German Lukyanov, Viktor Dvoskin Quartet, as well as various other ensembles and improvisational projects with Sergey Gurbeloshvili, Alex Rostotsky, Mike Ellis, Gary Bartz, Gary Thomas, Tal Farlow, Sandy Patton, Deborah Brown and Vinny St. Marten. In 1992, Lev Kushnir established his trio with drummer Evgeny Ryaboy and contrabassist Vitaliy Solomonov. They had been touring in Russia and abroad, accompanying Phil Abraham at the international festival in Minsk in 1994 and Gurbeloshvili with trumpeter Alex Sipyagin at the Moscow Jazz Festival in 1997. Kushnir participated in a festival in Rosenheim (Germany, 1990), Grenoble Jazz Festival (France, 1990), Pori International Jazz Festival (Finland, 1993) and all significant events in Moscow. Solo and with various bands, he gave concerts in Japan, USA, UK, Netherlands, Belgium, Italy, Sweden and many other countries.