Aleksandr Kartushin graduated from the Kishinev City Theatre Lyceum. In 2000 he started working at the Russian Drama Theatre of the Republic of Karelia. Over the years, he worked in the theatres of Moscow and Kishinev. Since 2011 he has been the artist of the Non-State Authors’ Theatre Ad LIBERUM.
He is the laureate of the Onega Mask Award in the Best Male Role nomination for playing the role of Anuchkin in the play Marriage.
Since 2020 Aleksandr has been working in the Karelian State Philharmonic.
Elena Sapegina graduated from the Kazan Theatre School and was invited to the Russian Drama Theatre of the Republic of Karelia. In 2017 she graduated from GITIS.
Elena is the winner of the Onega Mask Award (the Highest Theatre Award of the Republic of Karelia) in the Best Female Role nomination for playing the role of Shura Azarova in the play "Gusar Ballad.”
Since 2010 she has been the artist of the Non-State Authors’ Theatre Ad LIBERUM.
A-Jazz ensemble exists since 2004. The director and the author of arrangements is the pianist Anatolii Palaev.
The members of the ensemble are professional musicians. They work both with their own projects and with various musical groups in the City of Petrozavodsk.
In addition to jazz, including own compositions and well-known jazz standards in the original arrangement, the group plays music of various genres and directions. Among them is the program of French music, an evening of tango, a concert of songs from 1970-1980s in original arrangements of the ensemble.
Musicians often accompany various soloists, including foreign ones. Their projects include joint concerts with foreign jazz performers such as Olga Lukacheva (Ukraine), American vocalists Tocora Rogers, Mandy Gaines, Dennis Rowland, Carmen Bradford, Pauletta McWilliams and others.
The ensemble closely cooperates with the Karelian State Philharmonic. Artists can be seen and heard in children and adult subscription programs, programs of the International Festival of Chamber Art "Autumn Lyre", the International Art Festival "Onego-Classic" and other projects of the philharmonic.