Intro
Unicorn Frequency is a fiery ensemble of classical, jazz and traditional musicians from across Europe with glowing international careers featuring violin, guitar, accordion, double bass, percussion and vocals. The band is led by Romanian classical violinist Bogdan Vacarescu whose" technical mastery made it sound as if there were at least two fiddlers.” The Scotsman
Their cynosure is in their innovative, virtuosic performances of undiscovered music, reviving and reinterpreting Hungarian folk, Romanian laments, Bulgarian dances, Russian gypsy music, Greek tango, Italian pizzicas, tarantellas and Griko tunes, including gems from the classical repertoire, free improvisation and jazz.
The Band
Bogdan Vacarescu - violin
Bogdan Vacarescu has toured internationally since his teens as a concerto soloist, chamber and orchestra musician. His recent solo album "Violin and Piano Thrillers" is at the top of the Album of the Year in Romania and was given a 5star review in Musical Opinion. London- based, he has performed in Sydney Opera House, Athenaeum in Bucharest, Romanian National Radio Hall, The United Nations Concert Hall in New York, New Morning in Paris, Kings Place and Purcell Room in London. He has recorded soundtracks for films and documentaries, most notably in collaboration with Oscar winners Stephen Warbeck and Gabriel Yared. He has collaborated with ENO, Nigel Kennedy, Paprika, The Cat Empire, Graffiti Classics, She’Koyokh and Secret Cinema. Bogdan is a graduate of the Conservatoire of Music in Bucharest and the Royal Academy of Music in London as a student of Beno Schwartzman, Paul Ratz and Gyorgy Pauk.
bogdan.vacarescu.com
Elena Hadjiafxendi - singer
Elena Hadjiafxendi is an actress, soprano and performer. She has developed an eclectic and distinctive style that blends music with literary recitation and drama. She has given the genre of Music Theatre a new artistic dimension with her beguiling performance. Elena studied Opera at the Conservatory Eleftero in Greece, acting at the Drama School of National Theatre of Northern Greece and musical theatre at Associated Studios in London. She has graduated from Aristotle University of Thessaloniki with a Bachelor in Primary School Education and from the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens with an MA in Drama and Education. She has worked in Cyprus, Greece, UK and Italy with many directors in classical and contemporary theatre, musical theatre, operettas, cinema and television.
Elena Hadjiafxendi
Ilona Suomalainen - accordion
Ilona Suomalainen performs as a freelance accordionist across the UK. She has worked with orchestras including the Philharmonia, Aurora Orchestra, London Philharmonic Orchestra, BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra and London Sinfonietta.
A diverse performer, Ilona recently played in the West End production of Fiddler on the Roof, Much Ado About Nothing at the Shakespeare's Globe, and featured in a UK tour with singer 'Irit' supporting Lisa Stansfield.
Originally from Finland, Ilona studied at the Sibelius-Academy in Helsinki, before moving to London to study at the Royal Academy of Music.
Feel free to cut and edit it if needed. Let me know if you need anything else.
Ilona Suomalainen
Peter Michaels - guitar
Guitarist and composer Peter Michaels has a unique performance style influenced by his classical and flamenco training combined with folk, contemporary and jazz influences. Studying under Hagai Sigalov and Paddy Bashford, Peter attended masterclasses at Bath International Guitar Festival and Dartington Festival under teachers such as Stefan Rak, extending his technique to include highly percussive elements. Furthering his studies, Peter sought out Flamenco guitarist Tito Heredia, and at the same time began absorbing Brazilian influences including Choro, the traditional style that gave birth to Samba and Bossa Nova.
Through his work with bands Pocket Caravan with violinist Felipe Karam, Melange with cellist Shirley Smart, Captain Ska with trumpeter Jake Painter, and Indian Classical vocalist Bhavini Vyas, Peter has performed on a variety of stages, from intimate bars to the Royal Albert Hall, from Chicago blues clubs to a ruined Tudor Castle. He has toured Europe, Brazil and the USA, and several of his compositions have been featured by BBC Radio 3 including live radio performances.
petermichaels.net
Dave Kelbie - rhythm guitar
Over the last 20 years Dave Kelbie has been a prominent accompanist to many of the worlds leading jazz soloists and European Gypsy musicians. A self taught guitarist, Kelbie’s first concerts were with the celebrated Gypsy guitarist from Holland Fapy Lafertin and the UK based quartet Lejazz in 1989, a partnership which has continued to the present day with CD releases on Lejazzetal Records including ‘Swing Guitars’ and the highly acclaimed ‘Hungaria’, and with tours as recent as 2018 in an ever growing number of projects.
Through his lengthy alliance with Lafertin, Kelbie became rhythm guitarist to most of the top Gypsy guitarists of their time including a seven year stretch with Angelo Debarre, five years with Lollo Meier and performances with Tcha Limberger, Mozes Rosenberg and Bireli Lagrene. In the world music arena Kelbie has worked with Kal from Serbia, The Original Kocani Orchestra from Macedonia, Hungarian violinist Roby Lakatos, and a number of projects partnered with Tcha Limberger, The Budapest Gypsy Orchestra, Kalotaszeg Trio, and Trio Tatavla. Within this field his multi-national Balkan music cooperative Szapora has been his best-known project. The band received much praise for it's concerts Europe-wide consistently featuring some of the finest UK musicians such as Christian Garrick, Dylan Fowler, and Eddie Hession and Paul Moylan.
Through the recent project with New Orleans clarinetist Evan Christopher and Django a la Creole Kelbie has become one of the most sought after rhythm guitarists on the worldwide stage. He continues to work in the rhythm guitar seat with UK guitar legend John Etheridge (ex of The Soft Machine), Tcha Limberger’s Trio with Mozes Rosenberg and more recently the very hard swinging vintage jazz group from London The Dime Notes with U.S pianist Andrew.
lejazzetal.com
Paul Moylan - bass
Paul Moylan is a multi-faceted musician who stretches his wings right across the globe. He has performed in theatres and cabaret with Maria Friedman, Hayley Westenra and currently holds a residency with Nicky Haslam. He is the bassist for top Klezmer and Balkan ensemble She’koyokh and plays with Taiko Kunishima performing Japanese ethno free jazz. He plays the piano in many styles with a special talent for jazz. As a prolific composer his compositions and arrangements have been performed by an eclectic variety of bands including the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra. Paul studied at the Royal Academy of Music learning his trade as an orchestral musician, and recently became the founding conductor of the Open University Wind Orchestra.
Simon Roth - percussion/drums
Simon Roth grew up in a noisy house on the outskirts of London in between a forest, the M25 and the Metropolitan line, playing improvised music, jazz and klezmer within a family of musicians. He writes and performs his own music with Land of If, and plays drums and percussion for leading artists in the contemporary, jazz and klezmer scenes such as Dissolute Society and Contemporary Sephardic group Sefiroth. In 2014 he won the Burghausen European Young Jazz Artist of the Year Award and last year toured a newly written suite for ten-piece chamber ensemble featuring the jazz superstar saxophonist Chris Potter, commissioned by Manchester-based organisation Brighter Sound. Simon has performed across Europe, Asia, North and South America and worked with klezmorim Merlin Shepherd, Frank London and Alan Bern, jazz artists Elliot Galvin, Lauren Kinsella, Laura Jurd, folk singer Sam Lee and Afro-jazz band Vula Viel.
simonrothmusic.com
