“Tsar of the guitar” is the way Universe Guitare has described Artyom Dervoed, acknowledging his growing international profile, an active recording career, and no less than 16 first place awards in various international competitions.
A regular guest on the world’s most prestigious stages, including the Berliner Philharmonie, Kölner Philharmonie, Tonhalle Düsseldorf, Elbphilharmonie Hamburg, Concertgebouw Amsterdam, Carnegie Hall, Jordan Hall, Bunka Kaikan, Great Hall of the Moscow Conservatory and Tchaikovsky Hall, Mr. Dervoed is among the most eminent champions of the classical guitar.
“Dervoed goes from lush arpeggiated sections, sweet melodic playing, percussive rhythmic accompaniment, and incisive articulations… [Megaron Concerto] is a must-listen recording. […] The concerto explores every corner of virtuosic guitar performance along with engaging orchestration and memorable melodies and textures.”
Having mastered the entire standard orchestral, chamber and solo guitar literature, he is significantly and consistently expanding the repertoire through collaborations with leading composers, whose works he inspires, commissions and performs. Currently his orchestral repertoire consists of no less than 37 concerti. In 2024 Artyom Dervoed premiered Dies Irae Fantasy, a work for guitar and orchestra written for him by Nikita Koshkin.
In February 2023 Artyom Dervoed toured the Netherlands as a soloist with Sinfonia Rotterdam Orchestra under the baton of Conrad van Alphen, performing at several major venues including the legendary Royal Concertgebouw in Amsterdam. Other recent highlights include a collaboration with the world-famous violinist Vadim Repin.
In 2024 Artyom Dervoed released History of Tango, his new album dedicated to the music of Astor Piazzolla and Cacho Tirao, on Prima Classic label (US). His recent touring included a debut in Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia), as well as returns to Italy and China. Eleven concerts in USA and Canada this fall had huge success among public and critics: “Triumphant San Francisco Debut”, “Dervoed delivered an electrifying performance that earned multiple standing ovations and confirmed his status as one of today’s guitar legends” — wrote Bill Young, artistic advisor of the OMNI Foundation.
Mr. Dervoed fell in love with the guitar as a child and became the first Russian to win two of the most prestigious contests: Michele Pittaluga Guitar Competition in Italy and Her Royal Highness Princess Cristina Competition in Spain. The international attention allowed him to focus on recording projects, including the album of works by Russian composers, which was released worldwide on Naxos in 2008 and became one of the top ten bestselling chamber music records that year. “If your current budget runs to just a single item, make this the one” advised the UK Classical Guitar Magazine. The following year, Mr. Dervoed recorded the music of the Cuban classical guitar legend Leo Brouwer. The album titled Canticum was exclusively released in 2019 on classical music streaming platform IDAGIO. His third album Ghosts & Shadows: Music of Spain (Melodia Records, 2015) representing a survey of 500 years of Spanish music, was nominated for the ICMA Best Solo Performance Award in the “Solo Instruments” category. Just before the pandemic crisis Artyom Dervoed released his fourth album Paganini & Koshkin (Melodia Records, 2020). The album features Nikita Koshkin’s Megaron concerto, and the first-ever recording of Grand Quartetto – Niccolò Paganini’s Grand Sonata transcribed by Koshkin for guitar and string trio. The album brought the artist the second ICMA nomination and was acknowledged as “one of best recordings of the decade” by leading Canadian classical guitar source This is Classical Guitar. In the fall of 2021 Artyom Dervoed released Paganini’s La Campanella single (Melodia, 2021).
“An outstanding figure.”
“First-class performance to be recommended to any chamber music lover.”
“Soft touch and virtuosic creative energy.”
Among Artyom’s numerous projects — his own guitar transcription of Tan Dun’s epic multimedia work Nu Shu: The Secret Songs of Women, unveiled in July 2019 with Qingdao Symphony Orchestra under the baton of the composer himself. Originally written for harp, 13 microfilms and orchestra, Nu Shu was commissioned by NHK and the Philadelphia orchestras in 2013. Five years later, Maestro Tan Dun invited Artyom Dervoed to transcribe the work for classical guitar.
A magnetic personality and a bona fide virtuoso, Mr. Dervoed has an active media profile. He is frequently invited to speak on TV, radio and YouTube shows about the classical guitar, its historic significance, musical versatility and exciting future. The world premiere of Niccolò Paganini/Stephen Goss’ Guitar Concerto based on Paganini’s Grand Sonata for guitar and violin, with Mikhail Pletnev and the Russian National Orchestra, was nationally televised, reaching hundreds of thousands of viewers. The video of the La Campanella performance, recorded during the COVID-19 pandemic at the empty Tchaikovsky Hall, has a million views on YouTube.
Mr. Dervoed teaches at the prestigious Gnesin Academy. Together with D‘Addario and Yamaha Music the guitarist recorded a series of highly anticipated lessons on YouTube. In September 2023, he was invited to create a permanent classical guitar class at Musica Mundi School for exceptionally talented youngsters in Waterloo, Belgium, where he currently teaches.
Artyom Dervoed is a founder of Moscow Guitar Chamber Music Festival “Golden Fingerboards” and the co-founder and Artistic Director of the annual “Guitar Virtuosi” Moscow International Festival, presented by the Moscow Philharmonic at the Tchaikovsky Hall since the year 2006. Its solo, chamber and orchestral performances are streamed online and have featured major international stars including Pepe Romero, Sergio and Odair Assad, Yamandu Costa, violinist Dmitry Sitkovetsky and pianist Boris Berezovsky. The latter has collaborated with Mr. Dervoed on a program of classical and contemporary repertoire. In 2016 the festival opened with Mr. Dervoed’s performance of his own transcription of Beethoven Violin Concerto with the Svetlanov State Symphony Orchestra under the baton of Fabio Mastrangelo. This was followed by another world premieres on March 2017 and 2018: Carnival of Venice for guitar with the orchestra by Stephen Goss and Concerto for guitar and orchestra by Alexander Tchaikovsky.
Born in Southern Russia, Mr. Dervoed began his guitar studies with Sergey Annikov, Elena Svetozarova and Leonid Reznik. He later trained with Prof. Nikolay Komolyatov at the Schnittke Music College and Gnesin Academy in Moscow, Oscar Ghiglia at Accademia Chigiana in Italy, and Aniello Desiderio at Koblenz Guitar Academy in Germany. Recognised as “a musician with a wide dynamic range, an intelligent and expressive phrasing, and a technical facility with no discernible limitations» (Editions Orphee, USA), he has received honorary scholarships from the Vladimir Spivakov International Foundation, and the Russian Foundation for the Performing Arts.
Artyom Dervoed is endorsed by D’Addario strings, Yamaha Music Russia, Nevaton mics, Leona cases and Woodside guitar supports.
© 2006–2025 Artyom Dervoed, classical guitar
