Recently appointed principal flute of the Barcelona and Catalonia National Symphony Orchestra, Denis Bouriakov is known throughout Europe one of the most successful competition winners and outstanding interpreters of the flute repertoire. Born in 1981 in Crimea (now Ukraine) his unique talent was recognized by the time he was ten years old, when he was accepted into the Moscow Central Special Music School. Within a year, Denis was performing in Russia's premier concert halls and with the support of Vladimir Spivakov and the “New Names” International Charity Foundation he traveled to over 20 countries in Europe, Asia, South America and USA as a concert soloist. After his graduation from the Moscow Central Special Music School in 2000 he went on to study with Professor William Bennett in London at the Royal Academy of Music.

During the years Bouriakov pursued a Fellowship award and received the title of Associate of the Royal Academy of Music, he won prizes at some of the world's most prestigious international solo flute competitions, including the Kobe (2001), Carl Nielsen (2002), Leonardo de Lorenzo, (2003) Munich ARD (2004), Jean-Pierre Rampal (2005), Aurele Nicolet (2006) and the PanEuropean, Barnett Foundation and Maxence Larrieu Competitions (all in 2007).

Denis has performed as a soloist with many orchestras in Moscow, Prague, Tokyo, Munich, Paris and Finland. He has presented recitals at British Flute Society Conventions (2004, 2006), National Flute Association Conventions (2005, 2007) and has also played a recital at the Tokyo Flute Convention (2007). He has already been invited back, to perform at the BFS 2008 in Manchester and the NFA 2009 convention in New York City.

As an orchestral musician, Denis freelanced as a principal flutist with the London Philharmonia, Leeds Opera North, Frankfurt Radio Symphony and Russian Orchestra of London. He also worked with orchestras in Japan, Spain and at the Verbier Festival Youth Orchestra. In 2005 he won the principal flute position in the Tampere Philharmonic Orchestra in Finland where he currently performs, teaches in the Tampere Conservatory of Music and spends his summers as William Bennett's teaching assistant in his summer schools both in Farnham (UK) and Chicago (USA).

His 2008 engagements include solo recitals and master classes in Greece, Iceland, USA, Japan, Korea, UK, Lithuania and Russia. A CD duo recording with William Bennett and the English Chamber Orchestra has recently been released and a solo recording will be released later this year. In September 2008, Denis Bouriakov will begin his new position as principal flute in Barcelona, Spain.

Website: www.bouriakov.com

Competitions and Awards

2007

• 1st Prize at the 1st PanEuropean Competition in Thessaloniki (Greece)
• 1st Prize and 2 special prizes at the Barnett Foundation Flute Competition in Chicago (USA)

2006

• 2nd Prize at the Aurele Nicolet International Flute Competition in Beijing (China)

2005

• 2nd Prize at the Jean-Pierre Rampal International Flute Competition in Paris (France)

2004

• Special Prize for the best interpretation of obligatory work and the Barenreiter Urtext prizes at the Munich ARD International Flute Competition

2003

• 2nd prize (1st Prize not awarded) at the Leonardo de Lorenzo International Flute Competition in Viggiano (Italy)

2002

• 2nd Prize, the Orchestra Prize and the Prize for the best interpretation of the Danish work at the Carl Nielsen International Flute Competition in Odense (Denmark)

2001

• 5th Prize and the special prize for the best performance of the obligatory Japanese piece at the Kobe International Flute Competition (Japan)

1998

• 1st Prize at the international competition "Concertino - Praga" (Czech Republic)