ENGLISH

Two pianists who are very different from each other, two ways of feeling and communicating, but with one thing in common; MUSIC. This peculiarity fills their performances with sensitivity, a variety of sound and richness of colours, in search of versions with life and great expressive force.

Lechado-Kuchaeva, piano dúo

The two pianists, Jorge Lechado and Natalia Kucháeva, met at the Conservatory P.I. Tchaikovsky in Moscow. From that moment onwards they developed a personal relationship that led to them joining forces in a joint musical venture. It was there, in the Russian capital, where they began their musical activity together, which has led them to play on numerous stages in Russia, Spain, Switzerland, Italy and France with great success from both critics and public alike. They have received advice from maestros of great stature such as Vladimir Tropp, A. Fedorenko and Konstantin Lifschitz.

Their repertoire covers piano works for four hands and for two pianos by composers of every style, their monographic programmes habitually revolve around figures such as F. Schubert, M. de Falla, E. Granados, French impressionists or Russian romantics, dedicating special interest to the work of S. Rachmáninov of whom they have performed all of his works for two pianos. Jorge and Natalia (Lechado and Kucháeva) are often invited to participate in concerts and festival seasons both in Spain and abroad. They are resident artists at the Centro de Divulgación Musical del Mediterráneo based in Marbella, Spain, regularly performing in their season of concerts as well as their festival. Their collaboration with bodies such as the Fundación Sagasta (Sagasta Foundation), the Museum of Romanticism of Madrid, the Honorary Russian Consul in Seville, the University of Seville or Les Nuites Pianistiques in Provence have been received with great success.

Natalia Kucháeva, born in Moscow finished her Doctorate studies (Aspirantura) in the Gnesina Academy in Moscow with the maestro Vladimir Tropp. She has won prizes at numerous international competitions in Russia, France, Germany, Holland, Italy, Greece and Spain. In tandem with the intense concert work she does, Natalia regularly collaborates with the Teatro de la Maestranza de Sevilla as an opera repetitor.

Jorge Lechado, native of Málaga, Spain, did his Doctorate studies (Aspirantura) at the Conservatorio Tchaikovsky in Moscow under the tutelage of the pianist Pável Nersessián. Award winning pianist in the City of Málaga Young Performers competition and finalist in international competitions in Huesca, Spain and Pianello, Italy. He is currently accompanying pianist in the Superior Music Conservatory in Seville.

Both pianists have developed artistic activities as solo artists as well as in diverse chamber associations like the ensemble “Milenium Arts”, with soloists from the ROSS, and with orchestras like the Moscow S.O., Seville OCSM, Valencia OSC, Grosetto OSC, Málaga OSP, under the baton of music directors such as N. Orlov, Y. Traun, A. Soriano, F de Gálvez amongst others.

Jorge and Natalia (Lechado and Kucháeva) have performed at the award ceremony for the International Prize for Poetry Federico Garcìa Lorca in the auditorium Manuel de Falla in Granada, Spain, in the presence of their Royal Highnesses The Prince and Princess of Asturias.

Recently they have performed at the International Festival in Jimena de la Frontera, playing Carmina Burana by Carl Orf in the version for soloists, choir, percussion and 2 pianos under the direction of Gerard Beemster, and in the production of the opera by B. Britten “The Little Sweep” in the Teatro de la Maestranza in Seville.

Natalia Kuchaeva

Emanating from a family of scientists and a great musical tradition, the Muscovite Natalia Kuchaeva has been resident in Seville since 2009. Her repertoire covers the widest range of styles from the Baroque to XXI century.

She received a solid musical education at the School of Music affiliated with the Moscow P.I. Tchaikovsky State Conservatory and at the Gnessin Academy where she graduated and carried out postgraduate studies under the direction of Maestro Vladimir Tropp. Ms Kuchaeva attained further improvement at the Superior School of Music in Lucerne (Switzerland), with internationally renowned pianist Konstantin Lifschitz.

Her participation in international competitions has led to her obtaining awards on 10 occasions, of which the following stand out:

1st Prize in the International Competition "Nikolai Rubinstein", París 1998.

Press Prize in the International Competition in Enschede, Holland 2004 .

5th Prize in the International Competition "José Iturbi", Valencia 2006

2nd Prize and Prize of the Public in the International Competition "Alexander Scriabin" de Grosetto, Italy 2008

Ms Kuchaeva has participated in international festivals and concert cycles such as: International Piano Festival in Leon (Auditorium city of León), Festival Rafael Orozco (Córdoba), Nights in the Gardens of Alcázar (Seville), Verano Clásico Festival (Marbella), Otoño Clásico Festival (Centro Cultural de Belen, Lisbon), la Real Maestranza de Cavallería Spring Festival (Seville), "Coda" International Festival (Jimena de la Frontera), Musical Season Malaga Philharmonic Society, Museum of Romanticism (Madrid), Russian Museum (Malaga), Casa Bösendorfer (Montreux, Switzerland), House Steingraber (Bayreuth, Germany), Petruzelli Theatre (Bari, Italy), Teatro de la Maestranza Seville, Bolshoi Hall of the Tchaikovsky Conservatory in Moscow, Act City, Concert Hall (Hamamatsu, Japan).

Ms Kuchaeva combines her artistic activity as a solo pianist with the post of rehearsal coach of the opera at the Teatro de la Maestranza in Seville. Since 2010 she has collaborated with the "Millenium Arts" String Quartet.

Ms Kuchaeva forms a piano duo with her husband, Professor of piano, Jorge Lechado. Amongst the duo "Lechado-Kuchaeva" performances, the concert at the award ceremony for the International Federico García Lorca Poetry Prize in the Auditorium "Manuel de Falla" in Granada stands out, with the presence of their Royal Highnesses the Princes of Asturias.

Jorge Lechado

Recently appointed Piano Professor by public service examination, Mr Lechado works as a teacher at the Conservatory Manuel Castillo of Sevilla where he teaches piano and chamber music.

Jorge Lechado is from Málaga, and it was in the conservatory there where he began his piano studies with Juan Jesús Peralta, continuing at the Conservatory in Seville with Ana Guijarro. He obtained the Superior Title in the Royal Conservatory in Madrid under the direction of Joaquín Soriano. He continued his training in Moscow, where he completed his postgraduate studies at the Tchaikovsky Conservatory with the pianist Pavel Nersessian, this being a fundamental stage in his personal and artistic development. He receives advice from prestigious pianists such as Anna Arzamanova, Javier Herreros, Almudena Cano, Sergei Yerokhin, Mikhail Voskresensky, Mishel Beroff, Sergei Dorensky and Nino Kiresilidze among others.

After being a finalist and laureate in national and international competitions, he made recordings with works by Beethoven, Albéniz and Prokofiev.

He combines teaching with intense concert activity as a soloist, in various chamber groups or with orchestras, both within and outside of Spain, having performed in countries such as Italy, France, Switzerland and Russia. He covers a wide repertoire from the Baroque to the modern day, highlighting his collaborations with contemporary music ensembles "Taller sonoro" and "Zahir ensemble", the "Milenium Arts Trio", the "Alborán Quartet", as well as the flamenco singer Laura Vital. He is habitually present in musical seasons and festivals such as the concert season of the Musical Divulgation Centre of the Mediterranean (Marbella), or the International Music Festival of Jimena de la Frontera. He has performed in important halls such as the Cervantes Theatre in Malaga, or the Tchaikovsky Conservatory in Moscow.

He forms a duet with his wife, the Russian pianist Natalia Kuchaeva, and together they perform a wide repertoire for both 4-hand piano and 2 pianos, their monographic programs are common, dedicated to figures such as F. Schubert, S. Rachmaninov, Russian Romantics, Spanish composers or French impressionists, among others. They have performed in important venues such as the Maestranza Theatre in Seville, Petruzzelli Theatre in Bari (Italy), the Museum of Romanticism in Madrid, and the Manuel de Falla Auditorium in Granada, in the presence of the King and Queen of Spain.