Position: Senior teacher, Department of String Folk Instruments
Education: Belarusian State Academy of Music (2008, class of Associate Professor Gridyushko E. M.), Master’s programme at the same institution (2009, academic supervisor – Shcherbak V. M.)
Courses taught: “Special Instrument,” “Ensemble”
Pavel Evgenievich Kukhta was born on 6 July 1984 in Grodno, where he received his first musical education. He is a graduate of the Belarusian State Academy of Music and its Master’s programme (class of Associate Professor Gridyushko E. M.). Since 2009 he has been a soloist of the Belarusian State Philharmonic Society. He is a laureate of more than twenty international guitar competitions held in Austria, Germany, Israel, Spain, Italy, Poland, Russia, Serbia, the USA, Ukraine, France, and the Czech Republic. He is the only Belarusian guitarist to have been awarded laureate status at the largest guitar competitions, such as:
2009 – 1st International Guitar Competition named after A. Frauchi (Moscow, Russia) – 2nd place (1st prize not awarded);
2012 – 45th International Guitar Competition named after M. Pittaluga (Alessandria, Italy) – 3rd place;
2014 – 48th International Guitar Competition named after F. Tárrega (Benicàssim, Spain) – 2nd place and Audience Award;
2014 – 30th International Guitar Competition named after A. Segovia (Almuñécar, Spain) – 2nd place;
2015 – 6th International Guitar Competition (Hainsberg, Germany) – 1st place;
2016 – 34th International Competition of the Guitar Foundation of America (Denver, USA) – 3rd place;
2016 – 50th International Guitar Competition named after F. Tárrega (Benicàssim, Spain) – 2nd place, prize for the best performance of F. Tárrega’s music, Audience Award.
He is the ideological inspirer and participant of many projects at the Belarusian State Philharmonic Society, involving the finest Belarusian musicians as well as foreign guitarists.
Recordings of many concert programmes featuring P. E. Kukhta are regularly broadcast on the Kultura radio channel and the First Belarusian Radio.
A special place in the musician’s creative activity is occupied by his collaboration with the Belarusian composer Galina Gorelova. As a result of their joint work, a number of works for solo guitar and ensemble appeared in P. E. Kukhta’s performing edition:
2014 – “Sad Ghosts of Vanished Castles,” a suite for Belarusian cymbals and guitar in 4 movements. Cymbals part – Veronika Praded;
2015 – Prelude and Fugue; the work was first recorded on P. E. Kukhta’s solo CD in Canada on the Naxos label (2015);
2017 – “Charon,” Concertino for guitar and strings;
2018 – “Rodin,” Fantasy for solo guitar;
2019 – “Biblical Motifs,” a suite in 5 movements, 2nd edition, “Bergmann Edition” (Denmark, 2020);
2023 – “Distant Bells,” Fantasy for solo guitar;
2024 – “Bruegel Suite” in 4 movements, “Bergmann Edition” (Denmark, 2024);
2024 – “Da Lantano” for guitar and strings.
He takes an active part in many festivals and competitions in Belarus and abroad as a special guest, jury member, and masterclass teacher.
He has been a teacher at the Belarusian State Academy of Music from 2016 to 2018 and from 2023 to the present. During this time he has prepared several laureates of national and international competitions: Anna Vazhnik, Anastasia Rak.
In 2020 he became a recipient of the Grant of the President of the Republic of Belarus in Science, Education, Healthcare, and Culture for the implementation of the creative project “World Stars of Classical Guitar in Pavel Kukhta’s Project.”
The musician’s creative achievements have been recognised with the Grand Prix and the title of laureate of the Special Fund of the President of Belarus for the Support of Talented Youth (2010, 2011, 2013); a commendation from the Minister of Culture for conscientious work and personal contribution to the development and promotion of Belarusian musical culture (2012); a commendation from the Head of the Administration of the President of the Republic of Belarus for significant contribution to the implementation of state cultural policy, fruitful work, and high professional mastery (2013); an Honourary Diploma of the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Belarus for many years of conscientious work, high professionalism, and significant personal contribution to the development and popularisation of national culture (2019); and a Diploma of the Belarusian State Philharmonic Society for creative achievements and high professionalism (2026).
