Duo Paganissmo was founded in 2001 by Andrej Lebedev and Jewgeni Schuk. The majority of the repertoire consists of original compositions by Niccolo Paganini after whom the duo is named. Unknown to many, the most famous violinist of the nineteenth century was also an excellent guitar player.
Duo Paganini also perform pieces fom Russian composers like Tchaikovsky, Rachmaninov, Strawinski as well pieces from Spanish and South American masters as for example Sarasate, Granados or Piazzola. Some of the pieces of have been transcribed and newly arranged by Andrej Lebedev. The guitar is more than an accompanying instrument. It is an equal duo partner to the violin. This makes for a variety and diversity in the programme and is evident on the CD brought out in 2003.
Jewgeni Schuk is currently concert master in the Stuttgart state theatre and is professor for Chamber Music in the University of Music Würzburg. He studied in the Tschaikowski Conservatory in Moscow. He has performed with almost all leading Russian musicians (Sv. Richter, G. Bashmet, V. Spivakov among others).