Alexei Aigui

{{Infobox musical artist

| honorific_prefix =

| name = Alexei Aigui

| honorific_suffix =

| image = Aleksey Aygi, June 2021.jpg

| image_size =

| landscape =

| alt =

| caption = Alexei Aigui in 2021

| native_name =

| native_name_lang = Айги Алексей Геннадьевич

| birth_name =

| alias =

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|df=yes|1971|07|11}}

| origin = Russia

| genre = minimalist music

| occupation = musician, composer

| instrument = violin

| years_active = 1994–present

| label = SoLyd, Music Box, Lakeshore, Leo Records

| current_member_of = 4'33" Ensemble

| website = {{url|www.facebook.com/AlexeiAiguimusic/}}

}}

Aleksey Aygi (stylized as Alexei Aigui, born 11 July 1971) is a Russian composer, violinist, and leader of the 4'33" Ensemble.{{cite web |title=Alexei Aigui on Scoring the Breakthrough Documentary I am Not Your Negro |url=http://magazine.scoreit.org/interview-alexei-aigui-not-negro/ |website=Score It Magazine |access-date=6 January 2021 |date=24 February 2017}}

Biography and career

File:Aigui Alexei life.jpg

Aigui is ethnically Chuvash and the son of Chuvash national poet Gennadiy Aygi.{{cite web |last1=France |first1=Peter |title=Gennady Aygi: Avant garde Russian poet and friend of Pasternak, his career blossomed with the advent of perestroika |url=https://www.theguardian.com/news/2006/feb/25/guardianobituaries.books |website=The Guardian |access-date=6 January 2021 |date=24 February 2006}}

A graduate of Moscow's State Music and Pedagogical Institute,{{cite web |title=Concert-presentation at the State Musical Pedagogical Institute named after M.M. Ippolitov-Ivanov, Russia |url=http://eufsc.eu/concert-presentation-at-the-state-musical-pedagogical-institute-named-after-m-m-ippolitov-ivanov-russia/ |website=European Foundation for Support of Culture |access-date=6 January 2021}} Aigui's work has been noted for its minimalist aesthetics. This investment in minimalism led Aigui to name his band after the John Cage composition 4′33″, the score for which instructs performers to refrain from playing their instruments. In 1994, Aigui debuted his 4'33" Ensemble at the Moscow International Festival of Modern Music,{{cite web |title=The Jubilee Neoclassism of Alexei Aygi |url=https://www.erarta.com/en/museum/news/detail/news-02075/ |website=Erarta Museum |access-date=6 January 2021 |date=17 August 2014}} with another early performance taking place at the 1996 "European Days in Samara" festival.

Aigui is a prolific composer who has scored dozens of films and television programs, including Country of the Deaf, which received the Russian Guild of Film Critics Award for Best Score;{{cite web |title=1998 |url=http://kinopressa.ru/white-elephant/httpkinopressa-rupage_id377 |website=KINOPRESSA |access-date=6 January 2021}} Wild Field, which received a Nika Award,{{cite web |last1=Hercules |first1=Olia |title=Russian musical Hipsters scoops best film at Nika Awards |url=https://www.screendaily.com/russian-musical-hipsters-scoops-best-film-at-nika-awards/4043925.article |website=Screen International |access-date=6 January 2021 |date=6 April 2009}} Golden Eagle Award,{{cite web |last1=Holdsworth |first1=Nick |title='Wild Field' wins Russian Eagle |url=https://variety.com/2009/film/awards/wild-field-wins-russian-eagle-1117999063/ |website=Variety |access-date=6 January 2021 |date=26 January 2009}} and Kinotavr Award for Best Music, as well as the White Elephant Award for Best Composer; and the widely-acclaimed I Am Not Your Negro, which was nominated for a Cinema Eye Honors Award for Outstanding Achievement in Original Music Score.{{cite web |last1=Erbland |first1=Kate |title=Cinema Eye Honors 2017 Winners List |url=https://www.indiewire.com/2017/01/cinema-eye-honors-2017-winners-1201767077/ |website=IndieWire |access-date=6 January 2021 |date=11 January 2017}}

Discography

= Leader or co-leader =

Release year	Title	Label	Notes
class="wikitable sortable"
2001 \|Musique Cyrillique \|SoLyd \|with Pierre Bastien
2002 \|Aigui & Bonnen Play the Music of Jimi Hendrix: Up From The Skies \|SoLyd \|with Dietmar Bonnen
2003 \|Aigui & Bonnen Play The Music Of Frank Zappa: Black Water \|SoLyd \|with Dietmar Bonnen
2008 \|The Closer \|SoLyd \|solo
2009 \|Aigui & Bonnen Play the Music of Kurt Weill: Nightshift \|SoLyd \|with Dietmar Bonnen

= with Ensemble 4'33" =

class="wikitable sortable"
Release year	Title	Label	Notes
1997 \|Sisters Grimm Tales \|SoLyd Records \|ft. the NeTe
1997 \|Falls \|Long Arms Records \|
1998 \|Hearts (Сердца) \|SoLyd \|
1999 \|Taxidermy \|SoLyd \|
1999 \|One Second Hand (Music For Kinetic Theatre) \|SoLyd \|
2001 \|Equus \|SoLyd \|
2002 \|Happiness, Fame And Fortune \|SoLyd \|
2003 \|Mix \|SoLyd \|ft. Mina Agossi
2005 \|Live @ Loft \|SoLyd \|
2012 \|Hard Disc \|SoLyd \|
2016 \|Sergey Kuryokhin: The Spirit Lives \|Leo Records \|

class="wikitable sortable"

Release year

Title

Label

Notes

1997

|Sisters Grimm Tales

|SoLyd Records

|ft. the NeTe

1997

|Falls

|Long Arms Records

1998

|Hearts (Сердца)

|SoLyd

1999

|Taxidermy

|SoLyd

1999

|One Second Hand (Music For Kinetic Theatre)

|SoLyd

2001

|Equus

|SoLyd

2002

|Happiness, Fame And Fortune

|SoLyd

2003

|Mix

|SoLyd

|ft. Mina Agossi

2005

|Live @ Loft

|SoLyd

2012

|Hard Disc

|SoLyd

2016

|Sergey Kuryokhin: The Spirit Lives

|Leo Records

Selected filmography

class="wikitable sortable"
Release year	Film	Soundtrack Label	Awards
1998 \|Country of the Deaf (soundtrack: Les Silencieuses) \|Sergent Major Recording \|Golden Aries Award for best score; Nika Award nominee
1998 \|Retro vtroyom \| \|
1998 \|Chastnye kroniki. Monolog \| \|
2000 \|Kamenskaya: Chuzhaya maska \| \|
2002 \|The Lover{{cite web \|last1=Cockrell \|first1=Eddie \|title=The Lover \|url=https://variety.com/2002/film/reviews/the-lover-2-1200545728/ \|website=Variety \|access-date=6 January 2021 \|date=1 October 2002}} \| \|Golden Aries nominee; Nika nominee
2004 \|My Step Brother Frankenstein \| \|
2004 \|Kvartirka (TV series) \| \|
2004 \|Mars \| \|
2004 \|Ragin \| \|
2005 \|The Fall of the Empire (TV series) \| \|
2005 \|The Wedding Chest \| \|Golden Aries nominee
2006 \|Charell \| \|
2006 \|Mans virs Andrejs Saharovs \| \|
2006 \|Made in Paris (Je pense à vous) \| \|
2007 \|Sishik Poutilin (TV series) \| \|
2008 \|The Great Alibi{{cite web \|last1=Mintzer \|first1=Jordan \|title=The Great Alibi \|url=https://variety.com/2008/film/reviews/the-great-alibi-1200522556/ \|website=Variety \|access-date=6 January 2021 \|date=11 May 2008}} \| \|
2008 \|Snezhnyy angel \| \|
2008 \|Wild Field \|Music Box Records \|Golden Eagle, Nika, and Kinotavr Awards for Best Music; White Elephant Award for Best Composer
2008 \|Ochen russkiy detektiv \| \|
2009 \|L'école du pouvoir \| \|
2009 \|Can't Say No (Je ne dis pas non) \| \|
2009 \|Moloch Tropical \| \|
2011 \|Hop-o'-My-Thumb (Le petit poucet) \| \|
2012 \|The Horde \|SoLyd Records \|
2012 \|Rondo \| \|
2012 \|Looking for Hortense{{cite web \|last1=van Hoeij \|first1=Boyd \|title=Cherchez Hortense \|url=https://variety.com/2012/film/reviews/cherchez-hortense-1117948146/ \|website=Variety \|access-date=6 January 2021 \|date=31 August 2012}} \| \|
2014 \|Vychislitel \| \|
2015 \|Orlean \| \|Nika Nominee; White Elephant for Best Composer
2015 \|V dalyokom sorok pyatom... Vstrechi na Elbe \| \|Nika for Best Music
2015 \|Krasnaya koroleva (TV series) \| \|
2016 \|I Am Not Your Negro \|Music Box Records / Lakeshore Records \|Cinema Eye Honors Award Nominee
2016 \|Mata Hari (TV series) \| \|APKiT nominee for Best Music in a TV Movie/Series
2017 \|The Young Karl Marx \| \|
2017 \|André \| \|
2017 \|Doktor Rikhter (TV series) \| \|
2017 \|Our Little Secret \| \|
2018 \|Assia \| \|
2019 \|Good as New \| \|
2019 \|The Truth (La vérité) \|Music Box Records \|
2022 \|No Crying \| \|

class="wikitable sortable"

Release year

Film

Soundtrack Label

Awards

1998

|Country of the Deaf (soundtrack: Les Silencieuses)

|Sergent Major Recording

|Golden Aries Award for best score; Nika Award nominee

1998

|Retro vtroyom

1998

|Chastnye kroniki. Monolog

2000

|Kamenskaya: Chuzhaya maska

2002

|The Lover{{cite web |last1=Cockrell |first1=Eddie |title=The Lover |url=https://variety.com/2002/film/reviews/the-lover-2-1200545728/ |website=Variety |access-date=6 January 2021 |date=1 October 2002}}

|Golden Aries nominee; Nika nominee

2004

|My Step Brother Frankenstein

2004

|Kvartirka (TV series)

2004

|Mars

2004

|Ragin

2005

|The Fall of the Empire (TV series)

2005

|The Wedding Chest

|Golden Aries nominee

2006

|Charell

2006

|Mans virs Andrejs Saharovs

2006

|Made in Paris (Je pense à vous)

2007

|Sishik Poutilin (TV series)

2008

|The Great Alibi{{cite web |last1=Mintzer |first1=Jordan |title=The Great Alibi |url=https://variety.com/2008/film/reviews/the-great-alibi-1200522556/ |website=Variety |access-date=6 January 2021 |date=11 May 2008}}

2008

|Snezhnyy angel

2008

|Wild Field

|Music Box Records

|Golden Eagle, Nika, and Kinotavr Awards for Best Music; White Elephant Award for Best Composer

2008

|Ochen russkiy detektiv

2009

|L'école du pouvoir

2009

|Can't Say No (Je ne dis pas non)

2009

|Moloch Tropical

2011

|Hop-o'-My-Thumb (Le petit poucet)

2012

|The Horde

|SoLyd Records

2012

|Rondo

2012

|Looking for Hortense{{cite web |last1=van Hoeij |first1=Boyd |title=Cherchez Hortense |url=https://variety.com/2012/film/reviews/cherchez-hortense-1117948146/ |website=Variety |access-date=6 January 2021 |date=31 August 2012}}

2014

|Vychislitel

2015

|Orlean

|Nika Nominee; White Elephant for Best Composer

2015

|V dalyokom sorok pyatom... Vstrechi na Elbe

|Nika for Best Music

2015

|Krasnaya koroleva (TV series)

2016

|I Am Not Your Negro