AXOUM DUO
Elwira Slazak & Gabriel Collet
two marimbas
Acknowledged to have excellent musical skills and virtuoso performances, Axoum Duo include an eclectic repertoire compiling different kinds of present-day music – classical music transcriptions, film music, and also original compositions written by Gabriel Collet. Fully commited to today’s music, they perform premiers of new works, some of which have been dedicated to them.
They write soundtracks for documentaries and collaborate with artists from different fields creating interesting projects.
They regularly perform in France, Belgium, Poland and Asia.
In past seasons the duo appeared during “Les Journées de la Francophonie” (Wroc!aw, Poland), “65 International Chopin Piano Festival” (Duszniki-Zdroj, Poland), “International Seoul Drum Festival” (South Korea), Rachid Behboudov Theater (Bakou, Azerbaidjan), throughout Europe, including “Braunshweig Festival Classix”, “International Marimba Festival”, Japan Art Centrum Manngha”, “X Franz Schubert Music Festival”, etc.
Their first CD recording “Axoum New music for two marimbas” has been released in 2007 with, among others, three first recordings of the original pieces written for marimba duo. It has received enthusiastic reviews in France, Belgium, Japan and USA.
Axoum’s performances and recordings have been broadcast on different radios in Europe including: Musiques 3, Radio Bartok, Polskie Radio. The duo also makes appearances on different TV programmes.
The duo formed in Paris in 2000 by percussionists Elwira Slazak and Gabriel Collet. They hold degrees with the highest distinctions from Conservatories in Paris, the Royal Conservatory of Music in Brussels (percussions). They graduated with diplomas with the highest honour from the Royal Conservatory of Music in Antwerp, Postgraduate Concert Soloist studies (marimba).
They are recipients of prestigious european grants: “Prix Luffin” and “The Sir Georges Solti Foundation” and are the prize winners of numerous international competitions: International Music Competition
(Belgium); VII & VIII International Krzysztof Penderecki Contemporary Chamber Music Competition, Cracow (I & II prize; prize-Axoum Duo was the first marimba duo in the history of the competition to win the First Prize); II International Marimba Duo Competition, Belgium (II prize).
In july 2011, they appeared as jury members in “4th Universal Marimba Competition” in Belgium.
The duo gives masterclasses and lectures in Europe. They organise the annual “Axoum International Marimba Academy” in Radziejowice, Poland.
Since september 2011 Axoum Duo is a YAMAHA Artist.
Visit the duo’s official website at www.axoumduo.com for more information
or
join them on Facebook “Axoum Duo – Official” profile
We have heard sparkling, fantastically executed composition ( …) ”
(…) Phenomenal presentation of Elwira Slazak and Gabriel Collet …”
Gazeta Wyborcza journal
(…) Music, from one part magic, from other spontaneous,
unusually and virtuozo (…) executed with great sensitivity and engagement ”