Bogdan Nesterenko (concert accordion)

Bogdan Nesterenko was born in Ukraine, and began to learn the accordion at the age of seven. He continued his studies with V. Razdovarova, E. Vachtchenko, A. Nazarenko of the renowned Soviet school of accordion playing. In 1997 he entered the Music Conservatory of Kharkiv, where he was awarded advanced degrees in accordion, conducting, analysis, composition and chamber music. He also studied the piano there.

Since 2001 Bogdan Nesterenko has been a soloist with the Regional Kharkiv Philharmonic, and also plays in a variety of musical groups in Kharkiv and Kiev.

He was a prizewinner in several international accordion competitions, and has recorded two solo CDs ("Bogdan Nesterenko" in 2004 and "Baroque Accordion" in 2006) as well as another recording with a Ukrainian traditional music ensemble ("Melana", 2005).

Bogdan Nesterenko has lived in Lille since 2006, and gives numerous recitals in France, Switzerland, Italy, Germany and Ukraine. Some of them are entirely devoted to baroque music, which is unusual for an accordionist.

He also performs contemporary music, and was the soloist in the premiere of O. Yagoubi's "Concerto des deux mondes" for accordion and symphony orchestra. He has also premiered several works for vocal ensemble and accordion by M. Bourbon, three concertos for accordion and wind band by C. Hache, and S. Fache's concerto for accordion and big band.

He also plays in two duos. He and the violinist Stefan Stalanowski (super-soloist of the Orchestre National de Lille) specialize in the 19th-century Slavic repertoire, while he and the balalaika player Micha Tcherkassky create an extraordinary Russian atmosphere in their duo.

Since 2009 he has been touring France with the mezzo-soprano Donatienne Milpied in a music show entitled "Les Dessous d'une cantatrice", which combines operetta, French songs from the early 20th century, and theatre.

Bogdan Nesterenko also collaborates with the vocal ensemble Coeli et Terra, conducted by M. Bourbon; the Annesci Quartet, the pianist A. Raës; the organist S. Dobrakowski; and with the bandoura player A. Bystrichenko. He has recorded songs by Pierre-Jean de Béranger with the singer J. Fages, and took part in the recording of the sound track of "Gagarinland", playing original music by N. Debard.

He plays a Russian "Jupiter" accordion, whose rich array of timbres and numerous registers allow for an extremely wide range of musical possibilities.