BIO
Guitar player, arranger, composer Alim Nastaev was born in Nalchik, in GREAT Russia's North Caucasus region.
An old acoustic guitar had been the first Alim's musical instrument and from childhood he expressed an interest in music, but was engaged in sports professionally as a soccer player and played in the USSR junior combined team and for some major league teams of Russia.
However, he got some serious knee trauma and quit the sports.
After that he discovered his passion for the guitar and began his self-education.
Having been interested in Blues-Rock style at first, Alim was captured by the Jazz with all its varieties later on. As a result of this he decided to enter in most prestigious Russian jazz school "Rostov State S.V. Rakhmaninov Conservatory (Academy)" in class Vic Boreal - virtuoso jazz guitar player, performer, arranger and composer.
This situation made all possible to provide him opportunities for wider exposure.
He successfully participated in Dodj International Jazz Festival (2003, Ukraine), Fifth All-Russian Jazz Competition which takes place once in three years (2-nd prize, 2003, Russia), First International Instrumental Guitarists Festival in Moscow (2004, Moscow, Russia), International Competition "Many-sided Guitar" nominating in Blues, Jazz, Rock and Classic (Grand-Prix, 2005, Moscow), Rostov International Jazz Festival (2005, 2006, Rostov-on-Don, Russia), "MUZENERGO Jazz Festival 2008" (Dubna, Moscow region, Russia), "Cherkasy Jazz International 2008 " (March, Ukraine), "Sumy Jazz Fest 2008" (April, Ukraine), The International Jazz Festival "Usadba Jazz 2008" (the biggest open-air jazz festival in Russia).
In July 2006 Alim has been selected in eight participants among 27 applicants from all world for participation in the most prestigious world jazz festival-competition "Montreux Jazz Festival 2006 - Montreux International Jazz Guitar Competition" (Montreux, Switzerland).
Also, Alim collaborated: "Victor Borilov Quartet" (Russia), Nikky McCoy (vocal, USA), Andrei Quint (piano, Spain), Patti Ballinas (drums, Spain), Tyrone Wheeler (bass, USA), Mike Tracy (sax, USA).
In August 2007 Alim has received "Fender Scholarship Award" for participation in Berklee Summer Guitar Session (Boston, MA, USA) in classes great jazz guitarists Jon Damian, John Baboian and Bruce Saunders. In Boston, Alim has been awarded "In Recognition of Outstanding Musicianship Diploma" and "Berklee Scholarship Award" to attend Berklee College of Music as a full-time student.
However, In 2008 Alim received a two-year full scholarship to attend the Jamey Aebersold Jazz Studies Program University of Louisville as a graduate student and teaching assistant.
Currently, Alim is living in America, playing a lot and working on the material for his new second CD and plans to record it during 2009.
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