"...I enjoyed listening to your group on my recent visit
to Columbus. You are truly a fine artist and I will try to let the word out that I have heard your music and what I think
of it." -Theodore Bikel (Two-Time Tony Award Winner, Tevye of "Fiddler on the Roof", Folk singer, Jewish spokesman, Actor)
"My heartfelt thank you! You were terrific! Your music
made the occasion one of the most memorable our family has ever had. The selections and the whole performance were the best."
-Jay Fishman (Conductor, Minnesota Sinfonia) -Joyce Fishman (Violinist, Columbus Symphony)
Genuine world-class artist, Arkadiy Gips, brings the audiences to cheers as well as tears when he plays violin.
“If ‘music is a king, then Arkadiy Gips certainly wears a crown” was the media’s response to the first
performances of Columbus Ohio’s new immigrant from Kiev, Ukraine. Arkadiy began playing violin at the age of three and
at six, he was admitted to the School for Talented Children in Kiev.
Classically trained by Vladimir Novak, who later founded Holland’s leading music school, Arkadiy Gips began performing
with chamber and symphony orchestras as well as performing solo acts. Being a laureate of many national and international
music competitions, he continued his education and graduated from the Rostov Music Conservatory. Gips became a well-known
violinist in Eastern Europe where he played with a variety of orchestras. His performances included Ukrainian, Jewish, Gypsy,
Hungarian and Polish music. In addition to ethnic music, his interests varied, among them country, folk and jazz. In the U.S.,
Arkadiy has performed with many noted musicians, playing jazz and country in addition to ethnic and classical styles of music.
Today, Arkadiy not only plays, but conducts, arranges and composes music.
Arkadiy’s trio “Amazing Strings” with keyboardist Roman Zhuravlov and vocalist Lyudmila Smirnov have captivated
the hearts of audiences in the U. S. and Canada. When on tour with the critically acclaimed play, “Fiddler on the Roof,”
Theodore Bikel was so spellbound by “Amazing Strings”, that he nearly missed his stage call! Many years of performing
with “Amazing Strings” resulted with the release of “Yidishe Soul,” “Amazing Strings’”
first CD. Arkadiy was featured on another CD, “American Gypsy,” with internationally recognized composer and 12-string
guitarist, Neil Jacobs, and award-winning bassist John Douglas. The CD was nominated”Album of the Year” by the
American Independent Music Awards. Both Gips and Jacobs have extensive knowledge of Balkan and Slavic folk music and have performed
with and composed for the internationally acclaimed group “Zivili” on numerous occasions, including a memorable
journey into the Balkans performing for refugees and culminating in a major concert in the war-ravaged center of Sarajevo.
A splendid duet “Dialogue,” with Arkadiy Gips and pianist and composer, Mikhail Popov, has been known for years
all over U.S. for their combination of magnificence and dynamic rhythm. Their self-titled CD, “Dialogue,” is as
much popular as their live performances.
Arkadiy’s interests are far more than only music. His long-time dream to make a theatrical performance of Jewish music
with the stories of real Jewish people was finally fulfilled in several performances, “Candle of Life,” “To
America with Hope”. Today, Arkadiy Gips continues to explore new forms of expressing his thoughts and emotions towards
his music and his culture. For many years Arkadiy Gips and world-known 7-string guitarist Vadim Kolpakov have been performing
Roma music in numerous festivals in the USA and Canada.
Arkadiy and Vadim together with master of Russian Roma music Alexander Kolpakov created “The Kolpakov Trio”. Their
trio was invited to perform in Madonna’s “Sticky and Sweet” tour and has brought very colorful music to
it.
