text: is a brilliant phenomenon in the realm of button accordion. His name is already widely known all over the music world. He has won prices at international contests in Klingenthal, Germany in 1988, Kansas, USA in 1990 and Castelfidardo, Italy in 1991.
  YURI SHISHKIN was born in Azov, Russia. He got his first lessons of button accordion from his family. After leaving the music school in Azov, Yuri entered the Rostov School of Arts when he was fifteen. While in Rostov he went on with triumphal victories at the most important contests for bayan and accordion in Russia –during a period of nine years YURI SHISHKIN entered in ten competitions winning the First Prize in seven of them.
  During 1992 he graduated from Gnesins Russian Academy of Music in Moscow and started his professional career. He went to perform at the acclaim of public in The Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, Finland, Sweden, USA, Canada, China and Latin America.
  Besides his international appearances, YURI SHISHKIN often performs in his native Russia, presenting to audiences familiar as well as rare and interesting new compositions and arrangements by composers such as J.S. Bach, C. Frank, J. Brahms, I. Khandoshkin, S. Prokofiev, I. Stravinsky, M. Moszkowski, J. Sibelius, A. Schnittke, O. Gorchakov, V. Semionov, V. Podgorny, A. Kusiakov, A. Copland, S. Rachmaninoff, C. Orff and G. Gershwin and among others.
  The famous piano transcriptions by V. Horowitz performed by YURI SHISHKIN in his button accordion are a revelation for the audiences.
  The performances of YURI SHISHKIN are distinguished by deep revealing images, prominence and even spectacular personification of music. His artistic image is added to his passion for music and his enthusiasm, while elaborating new techniques of sound by extending the possibilities of the instrument with a very special artistic charm.