Music
Press
SAO JOAO MADEIRA, PORTUGAL (09/11/08) - Identical twins Marina and Natalia Pikoul have been mesmerizing audiences since the age of seven with their musical talents and are already renowned for their award-winning Classical compositions. However, the Pikoul Sisters have embarked on a new voyage in a new genre with the release of San Simon. The album explores the themes of metaphysical chivalry and courtly love with lyrics originating from Galaico/Portuguese troubadour poetry of the Middle Ages. In San Simon, Marina and Natalia, join operatic vocalists Cecília Fontes and Manuel Brás da Costa to examine the entire spectrum of human feeling and passion. The ten songs contain ethereal compositions and haunting vocals that lure listeners like Sirens into taking a journey through an ocean of emotion.
In symbiotic synthesis, ancient words meet modern music in a spectacular blend of acoustic instruments and electronic timbres. Classical, Pop, Rock and Ethnic styles collide in this poetic excursion in time. Chivalry and courtly love still exist; they are an enduring part of being human. While society has changed much since the Middle Ages, human sentiments have not, and both Natalia and Marina recognize this. Natalia states, “We are very attracted to the spirituality, mystery and romance of ancient poetry-the emotional journeys which make us grow and learn.”
The Pikoul sisters are no stranger to past success and San Simon continues that trend, containing many songs that have already won awards. “Love is Out There” was awarded the Grand Prize in the second session of the 2006 John Lennon Songwriting Contest while “San Simon” was nominated for the Los Angeles Music Award in 2007. “Surrendering to Love” is one of the winners of the John Lennon Songwriting Contest in 2007. The title track, “San Simon” has also been produced as a music video by Richard Tomes. Along with the Lyra String Quartet and producers Christian Schonberger and Richard Tomes, San Simon embodies the mystical essence of the Old World set in a New Age, and new stage. It lures listeners - as the Sirens of Greek mythology - to take a timeless voyage through the ocean of emotion. Set sail with San Simon!
FOR MORE INFO PLEASE VISIT: www.pikoulsisters.com
- David Erik ("Dreamstar music")
Discography
'San Simon' – album availiable from http://cdbaby.com/cd/pikoulsisters.
Ten songs - 42mins
Soloists Cecilia Fontes (Soprano) and Manuel Brás da Costa (Countertenor)
Lyra String Quartet (Richard Tomes, Suzanna Lidegran - violins, David Wyn Lloyd - viola, Jed Barahal - cello)
João Maló - guitar
Christian Schonberger - pan pipes
Producer Christian Schonberger and Pikoul Sisters
Photos
Bio
Twin sisters and co-authors Marina and Natalia Pikoul graduated as composers from the renowned Moscow Tchaikovsky Conservatory, and went on to study at the Paris Conservatoire. They were international prize-winners as classical artists before they started to experiment in the ‘crossover’ genre. Many of their chamber and orchestral compositions have been performed in Russia, Japan, Great Britain, and France, and others have been published in Russia. In Moscow they were the winners of the 1989 Contemporary Music Competition, and their winning composition ‘Angel’ for baritone and piano was adopted as the obligatory contemporary work in the IX International Tchaikovsky Vocal Competition, 1990. In 2000 Natalia’s classical score for Christopher Hampton’s play ‘Les Liaisons Dangereuses’ was used for a national tour of the UK. Also in 2000 Marina's 'Romance Sonámbulo' for baritone and chamber ensemble was performed at the Crucible Theatre in Sheffield and at the International Festival of Contemporary Music in Aveiro, Portugal. The sisters recently completed a fantasy operetta ‘Margarita and Him’ after the modern novel ‘The Master and Margarita’ by Mikhail Bulgakov. Many of their songs have been placed in the finals of various international songwriting competitions, 'Fatal Spell' was voted best composition in Portugal by the International Music Award Competition, received an Honorable Mention in 11th Unisong International Contest and is a winner of the Best Performance category of the "100% music" contest in 2008 . 'Love is Out There' won the Grand Prize in the second session of the 2006 John Lennon Songwriting contest and the Fourth prize in the 11th Unisong International Contest in the "World" category. 'San Simon' was nominated for the Los Angeles Music Award in 2007. "The Round" won the Second Prize in the Midwest Song Contest ("World" category) in 2007 and is the winner of the "Latin" category" of the West Coast Songwriters International Song Contest 2008, "Surrendering to love" is one of the winners of John Lennon Songwriting Contest in 2007 ("World" category) and a Runner Up in the UK Sonfwriting Contest 2008, "Sweet dreamer Solveig"has been chosen an Honorable mention winner in The 11th Cooch Music Amateur Songwriting Contest.
San Simon Project
The studio project 'San Simon' was inspired by the poems of the medieval Galego/ Portuguese troubadours, whose words are set in a modern music context. The sisters collaborated with classically trained singers and musicians, using acoustic instruments coloured by electronic timbres and pop/rock/ethnic influences. In this project Natalia and Marina are the composers, key-board players and backing vocalists. The project could be said to belong to the same broad genre as Vangelis, Enigma, Paul Schwartz, and Brian Eno.
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