Biography of Dimitri Illarionov
Dimitri Illarionov is an acclaimed classical guitarist, winning over 20 international competitions, including the prestigious Guitar Foundation of America (2002) and Francisco Tárrega (2008) competitions. He performs solo recitals and frequently collaborates with symphony and chamber orchestras worldwide, including I Solisti Veneti, San Antonio Symphony, and the Tchaikovsky Symphony Orchestra.
Illarionov has shared the stage with renowned conductors and musicians such as Claudio Scimone, Leo Brouwer, Julian Rachlin, and Polina Osetinskaya. He has performed in prestigious venues across Europe, Asia, and the Americas, including the Tonhalle Zürich, Bolshoi Theater in Moscow, and Seoul Art Center.
Touring extensively, Dimitri has played in Germany, Austria, France, Belgium, Switzerland, Spain, the USA, Canada, and many other countries. He has participated in major festivals like Schleswig-Holstein Musik Festspiele, Internationale Gitarren-Festival Iserlohn, and the Guitar Foundation of America ICAC.
Born in Moldova, Dimitri studied in Russia with Alexander Frauchi and in Germany with Professor Andreas von Wangenheim. With 20 years of teaching experience, he leads a class at Gnessins’ Music Academy and gives masterclasses worldwide. He has served on juries for prestigious guitar competitions, including the Guitar Foundation of America Competition and the European Classical Guitar Competition “Enrico Mercatali,” where he was President of the Jury.
Illarionov has released several CDs, including solo works for Naxos and Daminus labels and orchestral pieces for Les Editions Doberman-Yppan. His “Classical Duo” CD with Boris Andrianov was longlisted for the 2004 Grammy Awards.
Several composers have dedicated works to Dimitri, including Angelo Gilardino, Nikita Koshkin, Atanas Ourkouzounov, Konstantin Vassiliev, Rossen Balkanski, and Anna Drubich. He has organized and directed numerous international guitar festivals and produced various cross-genre projects, such as “Concierto de Hispanidad” and “Satie’s-Fiction,” blending guitar with narrative and visual arts.
Website: https://www.illarionov.com/
