Born in Tula, in 1955, Sergey revealed his extraordinary music talent at a very young age. In 1971, having graduated from a music school with an honor diploma, he entered the Tula Music College named after A. Dargomyzhsli, people’s instruments speciality to study bayan (Russian accordion invented in Tula) and balalaika. By this time, having mastered the essentials of guitar play on his own, and due to the lack of guitar class at the College, he started taking private lessons from the Moscow professional guitarists V.Slavin and P.Panin.
From 1975 to 1977, being a student of the Tula Military College, he played for the garrison orchestra concurrently studying the basics of the instruments play and arrangement for various orchestras. Having done his service, he opened his own class of classical and Russian guitar at school No 3 in Tula. There he educated a number of students who continued their learning at Moscow music colleges. While pursuing the teaching career for 7 years, he played the guitar in various groups, sic as Rossiyane, Express, Molodye Golosa (Young Voices), and also worked as music manager at the jazz-rock State Orchestra called ‘Slides’.
In 1980 in Moscow, Sergey met the notable Argentinean Guitarist Maria Luisa Anido. The meeting made him modify his attitude to guitar techniques, as well as alter the focus of activities. Since then, S.Rudnev has been known as a guitar composer.
His first compositions were influenced by Western music, especially by the harmonic jazz language. However, pretty soon S.Rudnev diverted to Russian traditional music, particularly guitar music. Feeling lack of music material, he created his first 20 arrangements based on Russian folk songs and dances, which he used in his concerts.
He experiences success in Russia, France, Poland, Hungary, Israel, Austria and in Spain. His personal contacts won him practically all-best world guitar Schools. Having converged them, he has created his individual style and, hence, his own guitar school, some methods and imitations being uttely unique.
His first success confirmed the appropiateness of the path he chose, and guitarist Rudnev dedicated himself entirely to the guitar performance in a Russian style. Then numerous compositions based on various folk themes appear.
After his concert at the Column Hall of the Union House in Moscow, Rudnev got acquainted with Mr. Ophée, US publisher. In 1994 his compositions were released in a Russian album. His pieces of music are included into programs of notable performers. Among them are Vladimir Mikulka, Paco de Lucia, Kazukhito Yamashita, and others. The 1990s have been the period of probing. More interest in Russian folklore tradition, as well as in the romance genre, has lead to new works. Together with the trio Yasnaya Polyana, who won Grand Prix at All-Russian Romace Competition held in memory of V.Zhemchuzhni, he released several CDs. He also wrote folk opera based on N.Ostrovski’s Snow Girl using exclusively Tula folk material.
Since 1996, S. Rudnev has been working for the Leo Tolstoy State Memorial Museum-Estate ‘Yasnaya Polyana’ as cultural programs director, as well as music director of the Children’s State Philarmonics. In 2002, he released his huge research comprising 208 pages called The Russian Style of Classical Guitar. This work includes his know-how of the Russian guitar technique and pieces of Russian guitarists that have never been publishing before.
Currently, Sergey Rudnev also works as an accompaniment guitarist for lead Russian pop singers. His second volume of a guitar music called Heritage is been prepared.