Erik Markovsky
Ancient traditions. Contemporary sound.
A journey into the world of ethnic percussion —
from the very first touch to the big stage
How I can help
Learn to play
Darbuka, handpan, frame drums and 30+ other instruments. One-to-one, online and in person, for adults and children.
Lessons →
Book for an event
Ready-made concert programs and turnkey music for festivals, venues, corporate and state events.
Concerts & events →What I do
Teaching
Erik Markovsky Academy — an original system for learning ethnic percussion. From the first touch to the concert stage. For beginners and professional musicians. 1000+ students worldwide.
Learn more →Concerts
Solo program and collaborations with musicians, vocalists, orchestras, dancers and ensembles. Hybrid drum set, electronics, live improvisation. Performances on major stages: International Youth Festival (Channel One), New Wave festival, Context. Diana Vishneva, DD National (India).
Learn more →Composer
Music for theatre, film and performance. Nominee of the Golden Mask 2023 — Best Work of a Composer in Musical Theatre. Productions “DÖR”, “Sak-Sok”, “Wild Child”, “Karakuz”. 4 albums on streaming platforms.
Learn more →Immersive concerts
Meditative concerts on handpan and a range of ethnic and electronic instruments. For festivals, retreats, corporate and private events.
Learn more →Media
YouTube, Instagram, TikTok — live performances in historic places, collaborations with vocalists, musicians and dancers, educational videos. Open to joint projects and content creation — get in touch.
Learn more →Improvisation
A professional improviser. I can instantly read the musical language of any partner — a vocalist, an orchestra, an ensemble — and play in unison with them from the very first bars. It’s a skill of accelerated perception: hearing what the other musician plays and fitting into their language. I teach this to all my students.
Learn more →Lessons for children
Children’s lessons: online from age 6–7, in person from age 4. Development through rhythm, coordination and musicality. An introduction to the traditions of different cultures. One-to-one and in mini-groups. A gentle approach based on child psychology.
Learn more →On camera — with different artists
Vocalists, dancers, kantele, oud, accordion, Indian television and shows. A new musical language every time — shared from the very first bars.
What the critics say
The projects have been covered by Kommersant, Rossiyskaya Gazeta, Snob, BUSINESS Online, Buro 24/7, Colta and other media.
“A native of Karelia, percussionist Erik Markovsky, with his bendir, daf and Indian ghungroo ankle bells, embraces the whole of Asia”
“Within seconds the audience sinks into a genuine trance, starts swaying along with the musicians and beating out a clear rhythm…”
“This is not a spectacle but a real ‘black hole’: a closed space saturated with sonic, visual and bodily energies”
«TUULI is an improvisational music project, where both the viewer and the musician become witnesses to the birth of the composition»
What students say
Translated from Russian. Lessons in handpan, darbuka, djembe and other instruments — online and in person.
A wonderful, calm and patient teacher. Attentive, with an individual approach: he sees a student’s difficulties not as their problem, but as a teaching task. With gratitude and warmth.
Thanks to his interesting approach I started playing the handpan very quickly. He explains everything clearly, even if you have no musical experience at all. I’m simply delighted!
A very pleasant, open and consistent teacher. Deep knowledge of the Turkish and Egyptian playing traditions; he also masters Indian and fusion styles brilliantly.
Contact
Ready to start learning, book a performance or buy an instrument?