Alex (Alaksiej) FRALOU

Bassoon-soloist of the Belarusian State Philharmonic and Symphony Orchestra of Belarus Bolshoi Opera and Ballet Theatre,

Senior Lecturer of Belarusian State Academy of Music in

Wood-Wind instruments and Orchestral Conducting Departments,

Founder and conductor of the Belarusian symphony orchestra “Capella Academia”,

Artistic director of the Ensemble of soloists "Vytokі" and the Festivales "Oginski Year in Zalesіe" and "Lux Mirum" in Mir castle

Alex Fralou - the only Belarusian bassoonist, was recognized at the prestigious Western European competitions. He is the winner of the III prize in the category of soloists of the VII International Competition of Contemporary Chamber Music in Kracow (named "The K.Penderecki competition", POLAND, 2003), took the III place in the ranking of bassoon players of the International Competition of woodwinds «Pacem in Terris» in Bayroyte (GERMANY, 1998). He also - the winner of the First International Competition of woodwinds "Minsk - 1994" (BELARUS), the winner of the 1st prize “All-Union Contest” (RUSSIA, Voroniezh, 1991).

As a principal-bassoonist of various ensemble and orchestras Fralou toured almost all European countries, as well as in China, Lebanon, Syria, Turkey, United Arab Emirates, USA. The musician worked as well in the Belarusian State Philharmonic (ensemble of soloists "Classic-Avantguard"), as a principal-bassoonist of the Belarusian State Academic Musical Theatre, cooperates with the Belarusian State Chamber Orchestra, ensemble of early music "The Minsk Chamber Soloists". As a principal bassoonist of the International Symphony Orchestra of Germany (internationale-symphoniker@web.de ) took part in the Gala-concerts of Jose CARRERAS (GERMANY, LUXEMBOURG, 2008) (www.berin-artmanagement.de). Also at Gala-concerts of Majida el RUMNI (http://www.magidaelroumy.com/#!/) (Lebanon, UAE, 2009, 2010), and french pianist Lucas Debargue (2015, 2016), co-operate with other famous musician.

The musician has participated in about a hundred festivals, among them: each year since 1996 in the International Modern Sollertinsky-Festival (Vitebsk), "Slavic Bazaar" (Vitebsk), "Renaissance of Belarusian capella" (Minsk), "Minsk Spring" and "Belarusian Music Autumn", International Festival of Contemporary Music "Warsaw Autumn" in Poland (Warsaw, 2000 and 2005.), the Days of Culture of the Republic of Belarus in China (2001.) and in France (Theatre of Pierre Cardin, Paris, 2002), the International Chamber Festival "15th Days of Cracow Composers" (Kraków, 2003), and others. Many festivals and concerts in most of the ensemble A.Fralou acted not only as a solo bassoonist, but at the same time as a lecturer and presenter, and not rare, and author of the concept of concerts. In particular, in 2003, he was one of the organizers of the celebration of a wide 450th anniversary of the Reformation in Belarus, including - Music Festival. In 2011 and 2013, Fralou and Ensemble "Vytokі" - one of the founder and most active participants of the Music Festival N.Nabokov memory, in 2015 - the author and artistic director of the festival "Oginski Year in Zalessіe» http://www.vytoki.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=28&Itemid=26&lang=ru

Along with the main professional work in 2001, A.Fralou initiative was created Ensemble "VYTOKІ" (started as Trio: flute, bassoon and piano), which repeatedly acted in concert halls, churches and museums of Belarus, Germany, Italy, Lithuania, Netherlands, Poland, Russia. The trio participated in the charity event "Children of Chernobyl" in several regions of Belarus. The ensemble of soloists "Vytokі" performed at various festivals, including many times at International M.Oginsky Festivals named in Rietavas, Plunge, Kaunas and Vilnius (Lithuania) (http://www.mko.lt/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/13.pdf ). The ensemble became one of the founders and leading members of "Music Festival in memory of Nikolai Nabokov's" under the auspices of the Commission for UNESCO and Mir Liubcha castles. The ensemble of soloists "Vytokі" has a wide variety of programs, concerts and lecture-concerts (look more in our site).

Also, an important page in the biography of Alaksiej Fralou was the period of work as a principal-bassoonist in the Damascus Opera House and professor in the bassoon-class of High School of Music and Theatre in Damascus (Syrian Arab Republic).

A.Fralou also engaged in teaching, methodical and research work in the field of the history of Belarusian music, the history of the performing arts, contemporary music. Educational activities by Fralou presented a special subjects (bassoon-playing, wood-wind-playing, conducting), lectures for groups of students on the history of the performing arts, contemporary music for wind instruments, methodical discipline. He is a senior lecturer at the Belarusian State Academy of Music (from 1998), author of scientific articles in encyclopedias, musicological journals, collections of materials of international scientific conferences, as well as teaching materials for universities and colleges in Belarus, in particular the Department of training BSAM. A.Fralou explores, invents and applies in practice the solo and ensemble performing a variety of modern methods of playing the instrument. In particular, he used for the first time in Belarus' permanent breath "the bassoon in the concert practice. Thanks Fralou’s scientific research in various archives Belarus and abroad, in the repertoire of Belarusian musical groups appeared many works of the ancient Belarusian music and performance capabilities bassoonist stimulate contemporary composers to create music for solo bassoon.

Alex (Alaksiej) Fralou worked as conductor of Brass Orchestra of Belarusian State Academy of Music. He is conductor of symphony orchestra “Capella Academia” and collaborated as a conductor with other symphony orchestras. Among them - the State Symphony Orchestra of the Belarusian Philharmonic, the State Chamber Orchestra of Belarus.

In the active repertoire of the conductor: 1—8 Beethoven symphonies, all symphonies of Brahms, Dvorak, Tchaikovsky and many works of Albinoni, Bach, Borodin, Franck, Handel, Haydn, Glinka, Mendelssohn, Moniuszko, Mozart, Mussorgsky, Rimsky-Korsakov, Schubert , Smetana, Stravinsky, Pergolesi, Vivaldi, Verdi, and many other composers. Among the well-known operas a special place for conductor are "Eugene Oniegin" Tchaikovsky and "Don Pasquale" Donizetti, from ballets - "The Nutcracker."