Kirill Yakovlev is a Russian-born guitar player, composer and music teacher based in Prague, Czech Republic, specialising in jazz-fusion, folk and ambient music.

Kirill was born in Novosibirsk, Russia in 1988. In 2005, after moving with family to the Czech Republic, he started taking guitar classes with Josef Štepánek, a well-known Czech guitarist cooperating with top Czech pop, jazz and folk musicians.

In 2009 Kirill was accepted to the Conservatory of Jaroslav Ježek in Prague where he successfully graduated in 2012. Leading guitarists of the Czech and European jazz scene were among his teachers - Libor Šmoldas, Petr Zelenka and David Dorůžka.

During his studies he became a part of the Prague Conservatory Jazz Orchestra led by the pianist and composer Milan Svoboda. Kirill performed with the big band at festivals in Trostberg (Germany, 2011), Marezijazz (Slovenia, 2012), and Bohemia Jazz Festival Prague (Czech Republic, 2013)

Since 2008 he has been teaching guitar at the Music School of Dr..Lidinská in Beroun.

In 2013 Kirill formed his original project CIRILIC, together with the double-bass player Taras Voloschuk and the saxophonist Cyrille Oswald.

The band’s debut album ‘’A Golden Age’’ was recorded in Holland, together with Yonga Sun on drums, and released in 2014. It was produced by Wiboud Burkens. The album contains the music of 19^th-century Russian romantic composers M. Mussorgsky, N. Rimsky-Korsakov and M. Glinka. The album also includes Kirill’s original compositions.

In 2014 Kirill participated in music composition for the movie ‘’Child 44’’ written by the Swedish composer Jon Ekstrand.

In 2015-2016 he became a guest of the Czech National Symphonic Orchestra as a guitar and balalaika player.

In 2017 Kirill’s band CIRILIC released its second album ‘’Memories of Heaven’’ which contains only Kirill’s original compositions. The album offers 11 tracks of instrumental jazz fusion, world music, and also hints of progressive and ambient or eastern European Folk music. The recording features Taras Volos, Cyrille Oswald, Miloš Klápště, Dušan Černák, Daniel Šoltis, Oskar Török, Patrick Sas, Yonga Sun and Karel Holas.

In 2017 Kirill formed an electronic project NARCISSUS IN SPACE together with the guitarist and film composer Dan Hasalik and Miloš Klápště on analog synths.

In 2018 Kirill and pianist Daniel Bulatkin (CZ/RU) formed an organ trio B/Y ORGANISM together with drummer Utsi Zimring (IL) and Petr Nohavica (CZ). In 2020 the band released its debut record ''The New Beginning'' under the prestigious Austrian label Alessa Records. 

Gear:
PRS Custom 24
Gibson ES 137
Takamine G series
Balalayka - prima 
Duduk in A, Bb

Fender Reverb Deluxe 

ZOOM G3X effect
Line 6 Delay 
TC Electronic Flashback Delay
Marshall Echohead Delay
TC Electronic Hall of Fame 
Earthquake Device - Transmission

Ibanez Tube Screamer 
Boss Fuzz FZ5

NANO Freeze
Dunlop Volume Pedal
Smrckaeffects Compressor/Limiter