At his performances, Yuri creates a unique atmosphere where the sound reverberations and the light intertwine and create an immersive experience, a completely different world where the soul is deeply nourished or taken to the heights by the waves of these sensory flashes. Yuri is a nomad: while for many years he called New York City home, he is traveling with his concerts all around the world, all year round.
In an era when Beatles records had to be smuggled behind the Iron curtain, a young musician in a medical family discovered his true calling. Born in 1962, Yuri Naumov emerged as one of the most innovative guitarist of his generation, pioneering what would become known as Transcendental Blues.
His journey reads like a Cold War thriller - a self-taught musician performing in secret venues across the Soviet Union, pursued by the KGB for “spreading decadent Western values”. Forced to leave his medical studies, Naumov transformed persecution into artistic freedom, developing his unique sound in underground performances across thirty cities, his bootlegged recordings becoming legendary throughout the USSR.
Today, Naumov commands the stage with an instrument as unique as his story - a custom-built nine-string guitar created by a master violin maker Sergei Nozdrin. Without using picks, he achieves what The New Yorker describes as “a one-man band sounding as if three guitars were playing simultaneously”. His masterful technique, employing 26 different tunings, creates rich harmonies and counterpoints that push the boundaries of traditional blues.
Since making New York his home in 1990, Naumov evolved into a truly global artist. His compositions, whether in English or Russian, transcend cultural boundaries, while his instrumental pieces speak directly to the soul.
Each concert offers a rare glimpse into the world of an artist who has been hailed as “the future of blues arriving from an unexpected direction”. No recording can truly capture the spellbinding atmosphere of Naumov’s live performances - this is magic that must be experienced firsthand.