AMUS Serguei Khousnoutdinov
Instruments: Trombone
Qualifications: Bachelor of Performing Arts, Diploma in Accounting
Serguei was born in Siberia, Russia into a family of five, later to become a family of six, with a younger brother and two older siblings.
In 1983, after studying for one year in at the State Moscow Conservatoire, Serguei completed his two years of compulsory Military service in Moscow. Posted to the Army Band in Moscow, Serguei participated in the annual 07 November Parade. Under the Communist Rule, the parade celebrated the Great October Revolution of 1917. Held at Red Square, the huge Military Celebration involved 10,000 troops and 1,000 band members. The parade required the band to learn 45 minutes (25 marches) of music by heart – an enormous feat that took two months of continuous rehearsal. After the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, the parade was changed to celebrate the end of WWII.
On completion of his Military service, Serguei returned to university to complete his Bachelor of Performing Arts, majoring in Trombone. In 1990 to 1994 Serguei taught trombone whilst holding a full-time position in the Maly Symphony Orchestra in Moscow and later the Bilkent Symphony Orchestra at the Bilkent University in Anakara, Turkey.
In 1997 Serguei returned to Russia and was employed full-time by the Krasnodar Artistic Association. Playing trombone, Serguei was in the Symphony Orchestra, Ballet Orchestra and the Big Band.
The decision to immigrate to New Zealand was made after talking to a friend he knew from his time in the Bilkent Symphony Orchestra. This friend was living in Christchurch and played in the Christchurch Symphony Orchestra. After immigrating to New Zealand in 2000, Serguei joined the New Zealand Army Band based in Christchurch. The highlight of this part of Serguei’s career was being involved in the Golden Jubilee Tour in Edinburgh, Scotland.
In 2005 Serguei joined the Band of the Royal New Zealand Navy and is presently living in Bayswater with his wife, Viktoriya, and daughter, Anna. He loves all sport, especially soccer and fishing. Whilst Serguei loves listening to music he is very selective in what he listens to. As well as English and Russian, Serguei also speaks basic Turkish.