Bio
Oleg Bezuglov (violin) and Natalia Bezuglova (piano) formed the Class&Jazz Duo in 2005. The musicians started collaborating as students at the Rostov State Rachmaninoff Conservatory. They continued to pursue careers in chamber music after graduation.
The duet gained international recognition at the competitions and music festivals worldwide. Oleg and Natalia are the First Prize winners at the Shostakovich International Chamber Music Competition in Moscow (2008), and the Third Prize and the Bronze Medal winners at the International Chamber Music Ensemble Competition in Boston, MA (2016). They were guest performers of the 16th International Johannes Brahms Festival in Portschach (Austria, 2009), the 6th International Festival “Bachakademie” (Germany-Austria-Switzerland, 2006), the 5th International Festival «The Musical Personalities» named after Alexander Tansman (Poland, 2004), and the 4th International Festival “Odessa dialogues” (Ukraine, 2009) among others.
Throughout their career, Oleg and Natalia received grants from several foundations, including the Alexander Glazunov foundation in Munich, Germany (2009), the Johannes Brahms Society in Pörtschach, Austria (2009), the Russian Performing Art in Moscow, Russia (2008), the Spenser & Eleanor Maurer foundation (2010), and the Johnson Coleman foundation in Lansing, MI (2012). In 2010 Oleg and Natalia became the members of the Russian Musical Society and were instated as the Honored workers of the Russian Musical Society. In 2016 the Class&Jazz Duo became a winner of the MSU Ed Engagement Residency Fellowship program. As a part of this project the group designed and implemented the music residency teaching course with series of presentations in the public schools.
The duo recorded two CD-albums. The latest recording with Beethoven and Shostakovich’s sonatas for violin and piano was produced in September 2013. It was highly praised by Phoenix Classical for “excellent performance – very expressive and emotive – precise intonation and technique – great balance with the piano – deeply poetic playing”.
Oleg and Natalia follow the idea of performing classical repertoire alongside jazz masterpieces. They constantly perform on stages throughout US and abroad.
Oleg Bezuglov
violin
Dr. Oleg Bezuglov is the Honored worker of Russian Music Society (2010). He is a co-founder and a regular member of several professional chamber groups. Among them are Michigan State String Quartet, ION Piano Trio, and Class&Jazz Instrumental Duo. In collaboration with the pianist Natalia Bezuglova and Class&Jazz Duo, Dr. Bezuglov has recorded two CD-albums. The most recent recording with Beethoven and Shostakovich’s sonatas for violin and piano was produced in September 2013. It was highly valued by the Phoenix Classical for “excellent performance – very expressive and emotive – precise intonation and technique – great balance with the piano – deeply poetic playing”.
The ensemble Class&Jazz gained significant successes at International Competitions and Festivals worldwide, and participated in XVI International Johannes Brahms Festival in Portschach (Austria, 2009); VI International Festival “Bachakademie” (Germany-Austria-Switzerland, 2006); V International Alexander Tansman Festival «The Musical Personalities» (Poland, 2004); IV International Festival “Odessa dialogues” (Ukraine, 2009) among others. As a soloist Oleg received scholarships from various international foundations, including Alexander Glazunov Foundation (Munich, Germany), Johannes Brahms’s Society (Pörtschach, Austria), “Russian Performing Art” (Moscow, Russia), Spenser & Elearnor Maurer Foundation, (Lansing, USA), and others.
Oleg is the First Prize winner of the 1st International Shostakovich’s Chamber Music Competition (Moscow, Russia 2008) and the Third Prize winner of the 7th International Chamber Music Ensemble Competition in New England (Boston, MA 2016). He is also a winner of the MSU College of Music’s Honors Concerto Competition (East Lansing, MI 2013). In 2013 he received the Highly Commended Award as the finalist of The World Competition in Southbank, VIC, Australia. He performed in various groups and as a soloist in Russia, Ukraine, Kazakhstan, Poland, Switzerland, Austria, Germany, South Korea, and USA. Oleg holds the Doctor of Music Arts degree in violin performance from Michigan State University College of Music and the Doctorate degree in Chamber Music Performance from Rostov State Rachmaninoff Conservatory.
Dr. Bezuglov is a core member of the several symphony orchestras in the State of Michigan: the Kalamazoo Symphony (I violin), Battle Creek Symphony (Associate Concertmaster), Midland Symphony (Assistant Principal Second), and Traverse City Symphony (I violin) orchestras. He was on faculty of the Flint Institute of Music, where he provided private violin and viola instructions to the pre-college level students from 2014 to 2018. For more information, please visit Oleg Bezuglov’s official website.
Natalia Bezuglova
piano
Dr. Natalia Bezuglova is a Russian-born pianist, organist and teacher. Since 2010 she resides in the United States. She is an active performer of solo, and chamber concert programs, as well as an accomplished organist, and piano accompanist. In collaboration with her husband and violinist Oleg Bezuglov she performed in Kazakhstan, Ukraine, Austria, Moscow, Siberia region of Russia and United States. Natalia was awarded with the First Prize at the 1st D.D.Shostakovich’s International Competition in Chamber Music in (Moscow, Russia 2008). She is also a winner of the Third Prize and Bronze Medal at the VII International Chamber Music Ensemble Competition in New England (Boston, MA, 2016). She became the finalist at the 1st Rubinstein Open Chamber Music Competition in Moscow, 2007. She received scholarships from the Alexander Glazunov Foundation (Munich, 2009), the Johannes Brahms Society (Portschach, 2009), and the “Russian Performing Art” Foundation (Moscow, 2008). Natalia have participated in a number of festivals in Portschach, Austria; Odessa, Ukraine; Moscow, Russia; Rostov-on-Don, Russia; Uralsk, Kazakhstan; Muskegon, Flint, Frankenmuth and Midland in MI, USA.
After earning Masters of Music degree in Piano performance and Piano Pedagogy (2006) and Doctorate degree in Chamber Music (2009) from Rostov State Conservatory, Dr. Bezuglova earned a Doctor of Music Arts degree in piano performance from the Michigan State University College of Music (2017). Natalia was on piano faculty at the Rostov State Conservatory (2008-2010), and worked as an accompanist at the String Instruments Department at the Conservatory. She served as a jury member in the South Federal Chamber Music Competition (Rostov-on-Don, Russia) 2009.
In 2010 Natalia has earned an “Honored Worker” title from the Russian Musical Society organization. Since 2012 Natalia serves as an organist and accompanist at Mount Hope United Methodist Church (Lansing, MI).
Starting from 2014 Natalia is piano faculty at Michigan State University CMS. Her teaching career also includes memberships in MMTA and MTNA which are the important steps to her future goal of founding a music school based on Russian traditions of the performing arts.