VLADIMIR TKACHENKO – ВЛАДИМИР ТКАЧЕНКО

One of the best guitarists of Belarus and post-Soviet countries. Tkachenko graduated from a violin department of the State Conservatory of Belarus. In 1977, before his graduation, he was invited as a violinist, guitarist and arranger in the folk rock group ˜Pesnyary’. At that time it was one of the most – if not the most – popular musical groups of the USSR. Pesnyary was one of the first Soviet groups to tour the USA. This fact in itself proves the highest professionalism of the group’s musicians.
Vladimir left Pesnyary in 1985 and from 1986 to the present he works for the State Concert Orchestra of the Republic of Belarus. For several years he combined this job with guitar lessons at the Minsk Institute of Culture.
In 1996, Vladimir was awarded the title of Honored Artist of Belarus.
Vladimir Tkachenko is not only a virtuoso guitarist, but also a talented arranger. He created more than 1000 musical arrangements for the State Orchestra and has been the author of all musical arrangements for the competition accompaniment during “Slavonic bazar” (held in Vitebsk) annually since 1992.
Vladimir is known as a big Beatles fan. Together with another “Pesnyary” guitarist, Viktor Molchanov (their duet is called “Double Fantasy”), he regularly participates in “The Beatles” festivals in Minsk, Moscow, Saint Petersburg. Both musicians produced two great albums ‘Tkachenko / Molchanov play the Beatles’ which were unfortunately released in a very limited number of copies.
Vladimir Tkachenko is the author of great pieces of music such as The Beatles Suite, The Pesnyary Suite, a fantasy for chamber orchestra called “White Russia” and many others.
In addition, he is the first guitarist in the USSR to start tapping with two hands and is considered the founder of this technique in the post-Soviet world.