Sandbox for Pianocrasher
Oleg Lapidus (born November 27, 1970), known as the Pianocrasher or Acoustic Graffitist, is a contemporary artist, professional musician and a founder of a new creative trend called Acoustic Graffiti. Acoustic Graffiti performances and art works signify the spread of Graffiti culture into music world. Pianocrasher's landmark performance of a traditional Irish tune on his flute in the House of Commons of the Palace of Westminster in October 2008 confirmed the existence of a new kind of art. [1]
Oleg Lapidus aka the Pianocrasher | |
|---|---|
 After the Palace of Westminster Pianocrash, October 2008 | |
| Nationality | Russian |
| Education | Multi-instrumentalist |
| Known for | Music, Video, Prints |
| Movement | Contemporary, Conceptual: "Acoustic Graffiti Arts" |
Pianocrasher
editThe "Pianocrasher" title refers to Italian "piano" - meaning "soft" and can be interpreted as "breaking silence." Versatile musician, Oleg Lapidus is a virtuoso clarinetist and saxophonist, pianist, flutist and a music teacher. His "pianocrashes" involve not only actual piano performances, but also flute, sax, clarinet and Irish whistle.
"Pianocrashes" by Oleg Lapidus include the lobby of the iconic buildings on the South Bank - Royal Festival Hall, Queen Elizabeth Hall and the Royal National Theatre, ENO Coliseum, Ronny Scotts jazz club, a number of top London hotels, like The Dorchester and Grosvenor House in Park Lane, historic Brown’s Hotel in Mayfair and The Ritz as well as restaurants such as JUST St. James's in St. James's.
During one of his most extreme crashes he was performing James Bond theme on sax in front the MI6 building - home of the legendary Ian Fleming's hero.
In October 2008 "Pianocrasher" played a traditional Irish tune on his flute in the House of Commons of the Palace of Westminster. This landmark performance confirmed the existence of the new kind of art - Acoustic Graffiti. [2]
Video recordings of Acoustic Graffiti music performances became the core of Acoustic Graffiti Arts - art works based on video captures of the moment when Oleg Lapidus is stopped by security. Acoustic Graffiti Arts is a creative collaboration between artist Oleg Lapidus and video operator Eugenie Absalom, who's video captures are integrated into the art works. [3]
Pianocrasher and Street Pianos 09
editLuke Jerram's "Play Me I'm Yours" street piano initiative [4] comes as a reaction of a creative individual to the general rule, prohibiting anyone to play music in public places without special arrangement - no matter how skilful you are at playing your piano or how popular your music is with the audience. Any musician would have been stopped immediately by security outside the City of London and Sing London festival.
Camden based artist and professional musician Oleg Lapidus, aka the Pianocrasher proved the point more than once by playing music unexpectedly in public areas and being stopped by security. [5] [6]
In 2008 he turned society's unacceptance of impromtu music performaces into a provocative creative trend, called Acoustic Graffiti Arts: video recordings of his own music performances and his visual art works, based on music stopped by security.
Both projects: street pianos and acoustic graffiti arts share the same artistic vision - they encourage general public to create freely and to use public space as their playground. The Pianocrasher is sincerely delighted to have come across a similarly thinking artist in the UK.
Mr Lapidus considers "Play Me I'm Yours" project as a variation of his own Acoustic Graffiti concept and a manisfestation of Prohibitivism. It lets people use their creative abilities at places where they normally wouldn't have any chance to.
Oleg Lapidus Biography
editBorn in Almaty - the capital city of the Soviet Kazakhstan in November 1970, Oleg Lapidus started to play piano at the age of 11 and later decided to learn clarinet. He was accepted to Almaty Musical College (classical clarinet) and upon graduation - to Almaty State Pedagogical University (classical piano, vocal, conducting and teaching) and Almaty State Conservatoire (classical clarinet). After successfully graduating both of them with Masters Degree in Music he immigrated to Israel.
In Israel Oleg studied Jazz in Jerusalem Rubin Academy of Music (Jazz Piano – Nahum Perferkovich and Jazz Sax – Boris Gammer). He played with different Dixieland, Jazz and Jewish wedding bands and he taught clarinet and piano at Jerusalem School of Music.
Mr Lapidus had numerous appearances on TV in programme "7:40" as a musician, singer and an actor. He was also published in Israeli Russian-speaking press. His novel "London Diary of a Street Musician" was a big success.
After 8 years in Israel, Oleg immigrated back to Russia and lived in Moscow for 3 years, periodically coming to London. He worked on the Russian TV channel TNT as a writer, director and editor for the talk show "Okna" ("Windows").
In 2006-08 Oleg took part in Klezmer and Jazz festivals in Moscow (Dona-Fest, Yiddish-Fest), Klezfest in St. Petersburg and Klezfest in London, Covent Garden Jazz Festival. He became a student and follower of such Klezmer luminaries as David Krakauer, Merlin Shepherd, Frank London and Michael Alpert.
Now back in London Oleg plays Gypsy Jazz in Quequmbar, Greek music with Greek function band ZOI, Klezmer with different Klezmer bands and solo with his backing tracks in clubs, hotels, live music bars and restaurants across England. He professionally teaches piano, clarinet, flute and sax in English, Russian and Hebrew. [7] [8] [9]
In 2008 in London Oleg Lapidus became a founder of a new creative trend called Acoustic Graffiti Arts. He is also known as the Pianocrasher or Acoustic Graffitist. Acoustic Graffiti performances and art works, created by Oleg Lapidus, signify the spread of Graffiti culture into music world. His landmark performance of a traditional Irish tune on his flute in one of the conference rooms of the Palace of Westminster in October 2008 confirmed the existence of a new kind of art. [10]
In 2008 Oleg Lapidus also initiated the movement of Prohibitivism that aims to unite prohibited visual arts like Graffiti, Acoustic Graffiti, Video Graffiti, innovative prohibited trends and artists belonging to them by way of joint exhibitis, workshops and other creative promotions. "Pianocrash involves uncertainty just like any on stage performance and it makes you feel just as vulnerable or even more than a scheduled concert," – says Oleg Lapidus. "Its mission is to break the stereotype and to show that art has no bounds. And it gives people unexpected joy."
References
edit1. Mary Kunz Goldman - Music Critic - InstantEncore - The Piano Crasher [11] 2. Pianocrasher website: [12] 3. The Pianocrasher YouTube channel: [13] 4. Metro UK 05/08/09 Seen & Heard, Pianocrasher Interview: Oleg Lapidus and Eugenie Absalom [14] 5. Splerin FML Newsletter, July/August 2009[15] 6. The Independent, 12.06.09 article by Emma Love "Observations: London's artistic vision of Joannas" - comment by Eugenie Absalom [16] 7. "Play Me, I'm Yours" - Street Pianos London 09 website: [17] 8. "Coup d'Etat Brooklyn" art blog: "Acoustic Graffiti - Oleg Lapidus" [18] 9. "Art Is Everywhere" blog, Brussels: "Acoustic Graffitist in British Parliament" [19] 10. Livejournal, 24.06.09 Article by Eugenie Absalom "Play Me While I'm Still Yours - The Pianocrasher": [20] 11. Oleg Lapidus on MySpace: [21] 12.Oleg Lapidus on YouTube: [22] 13. Eugenie Absalom website: [23]