Alexander Zhurbin
Encyclopedia
Alexander Zhurbin is one of the most important Russian composers of his generation. His music is widely performed all over the former Soviet Union
, East Europe and West Europe, Canada
and the United States
. He composes in a wide range of forms and styles: from symphonies to pop music, from chamber music to "new wave," from operas and ballets to movie scores and music for the theater. The list of his works is very long (more than 150 titles).
Before 1990 the composer lived in the former Soviet Union, where he was one of the biggest stars in the Arts. His tunes were hummed practically by everyone, and his face was familiar to everybody, because he was a frequent participant in various TV-programs. Meanwhile his symphony and chamber music was performed in many major concert halls throughout the country.
He was born in Tashkent
, where he graduated Special Music School in 1963. Later he graduated Tashkent Conservatory as a cellist, and Gnessin Music College as a composer (1969). His teachers there were professors Nikolai Peiko and Aram Khachaturian
. After that, he did his postgraduate studies as a musicologist in Leningrad
, where completed his Ph.D. dissertation (1973) on Gustav Mahler
's Symphonies. His teachers there were Profs. Sergey Slonimsky, Yuzef Kon, and he also had frequent consultations with Dmitri Shostakovich
.
His first big success came in 1975 with his rock-opera "Orpheus and Eurydice
". This work was the first of its kind in the Soviet Union and was a big sensation . It was more than two thousand performances in a row, and more than two millions copies of the record were sold. For this opera, Mr. Zhurbin won many international awards, including "Star of the Year" in Great Britain.
He has scored more than 50 feature movies, some of them well-known internationally.
His 6 operas and 3 ballets were performed in the best National Theaters of Russia (Leningrad National Opera, Moscow Chamber Opera).
All of his sixteen musicals are still playing in the former Soviet Union, and some of them have had more than 2.000 performances.
Since 1990 the composer and his family live in New York City, USA. He served as a composer-in residence at the 92 "Y" and a professor at Touro college. In 1992 he founded the Russian-American Theater "Wandering Stars", which became a major cultural force inside the Russian-speaking community. To the 1998 this Theater produced nine big theatrical productions, six of them with the music of Alexander Zhurbin.
His musical "How It Was Done in Odessa" was a critical success at the Walnut Street Theatre
, Philadelphia. It had an eight week "sold-out" run with a very good reviews. (1991)
Among his compositions written in the USA are Cello Concerto, Violin Concerto, Symphony # 3, an opera
"Good Health, Your majesty", a cantata "A Part of Speech" with lyrics by Joseph Brodsky
, as well as songs, jingles and commercials.
In 1996 he had a very successful "Evening of Zhurbin's Music" in Carnegie Hall
(Weill Recital Hall) performed by Kristjan Jarvi
and the Absolute Ensemble.
His latest theater works are musicals "Shalom, America" (after Sholom Asch), "Camera Obscura" (after Vladimir Nabokov
), "Wandering Stars" (after Sholom Aleikhem).
As a performer of cabaret-style performer Alexander Zhurbin is widely popular among Russians around the world. His brilliant piano performance and husky voice in conjunction with sophisticated and charming Russian-French melodies now won him love and recognition among Americans.
Presently he is predominantly living in Moscow, and traveling all over the world. He has written several major theatrical works: "Mousetrap" (musical after Agatha Christie
), Humiliated and Insulted (opera after Dostoevsky) "The Seagull
"– operetta
after Anton Chekhov
and many others. All of them were produced in Moscow, Saint-Petersburg and another cities. Also he scored major mini-serial "Moscow Saga
" – after novel by Vasily Aksyonov
Currently, the composer is working on major theatrical and movie projects.
His wife - Irina Ginzburg - is a poet, translator and writer. His son - Lev Zhurbin
- is a composer and performer, living in New York
.
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
, East Europe and West Europe, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
and the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. He composes in a wide range of forms and styles: from symphonies to pop music, from chamber music to "new wave," from operas and ballets to movie scores and music for the theater. The list of his works is very long (more than 150 titles).
Before 1990 the composer lived in the former Soviet Union, where he was one of the biggest stars in the Arts. His tunes were hummed practically by everyone, and his face was familiar to everybody, because he was a frequent participant in various TV-programs. Meanwhile his symphony and chamber music was performed in many major concert halls throughout the country.
He was born in Tashkent
Tashkent
Tashkent is the capital of Uzbekistan and of the Tashkent Province. The officially registered population of the city in 2008 was about 2.2 million. Unofficial sources estimate the actual population may be as much as 4.45 million.-Early Islamic History:...
, where he graduated Special Music School in 1963. Later he graduated Tashkent Conservatory as a cellist, and Gnessin Music College as a composer (1969). His teachers there were professors Nikolai Peiko and Aram Khachaturian
Aram Khachaturian
Aram Ilyich Khachaturian was a prominent Soviet composer. Khachaturian's works were often influenced by classical Russian music and Armenian folk music...
. After that, he did his postgraduate studies as a musicologist in Leningrad
Leningrad
Leningrad is the former name of Saint Petersburg, Russia.Leningrad may also refer to:- Places :* Leningrad Oblast, a federal subject of Russia, around Saint Petersburg* Leningrad, Tajikistan, capital of Muminobod district in Khatlon Province...
, where completed his Ph.D. dissertation (1973) on Gustav Mahler
Gustav Mahler
Gustav Mahler was a late-Romantic Austrian composer and one of the leading conductors of his generation. He was born in the village of Kalischt, Bohemia, in what was then Austria-Hungary, now Kaliště in the Czech Republic...
's Symphonies. His teachers there were Profs. Sergey Slonimsky, Yuzef Kon, and he also had frequent consultations with Dmitri Shostakovich
Dmitri Shostakovich
Dmitri Dmitriyevich Shostakovich was a Soviet Russian composer and one of the most celebrated composers of the 20th century....
.
His first big success came in 1975 with his rock-opera "Orpheus and Eurydice
Orpheus and Eurydice (rock opera)
Orpheus and Eurydice is a 1975 rock opera album by Russian composer Alexander Zhurbin.-Track listing:#Prelude #Duet of Orpheus and Eurydice #Song of Orpheus #Chorus of Messengers #Farewell Scene #Look Back...
". This work was the first of its kind in the Soviet Union and was a big sensation . It was more than two thousand performances in a row, and more than two millions copies of the record were sold. For this opera, Mr. Zhurbin won many international awards, including "Star of the Year" in Great Britain.
He has scored more than 50 feature movies, some of them well-known internationally.
His 6 operas and 3 ballets were performed in the best National Theaters of Russia (Leningrad National Opera, Moscow Chamber Opera).
All of his sixteen musicals are still playing in the former Soviet Union, and some of them have had more than 2.000 performances.
Since 1990 the composer and his family live in New York City, USA. He served as a composer-in residence at the 92 "Y" and a professor at Touro college. In 1992 he founded the Russian-American Theater "Wandering Stars", which became a major cultural force inside the Russian-speaking community. To the 1998 this Theater produced nine big theatrical productions, six of them with the music of Alexander Zhurbin.
His musical "How It Was Done in Odessa" was a critical success at the Walnut Street Theatre
Walnut Street Theatre
The Walnut Street Theatre , located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania at 825 Walnut Street, is the oldest continuously operating theatre in the English-speaking world and the oldest in the United States...
, Philadelphia. It had an eight week "sold-out" run with a very good reviews. (1991)
Among his compositions written in the USA are Cello Concerto, Violin Concerto, Symphony # 3, an opera
"Good Health, Your majesty", a cantata "A Part of Speech" with lyrics by Joseph Brodsky
Joseph Brodsky
Iosif Aleksandrovich Brodsky , was a Russian poet and essayist.In 1964, 23-year-old Brodsky was arrested and charged with the crime of "social parasitism" He was expelled from the Soviet Union in 1972 and settled in America with the help of W. H. Auden and other supporters...
, as well as songs, jingles and commercials.
In 1996 he had a very successful "Evening of Zhurbin's Music" in Carnegie Hall
Carnegie Hall
Carnegie Hall is a concert venue in Midtown Manhattan in New York City, United States, located at 881 Seventh Avenue, occupying the east stretch of Seventh Avenue between West 56th Street and West 57th Street, two blocks south of Central Park....
(Weill Recital Hall) performed by Kristjan Jarvi
Kristjan Järvi
Kristjan Järvi is an Estonian-American conductor. Järvi is the younger son of Neeme Järvi, and the brother of conductor Paavo Järvi and flutist Maarika Järvi....
and the Absolute Ensemble.
His latest theater works are musicals "Shalom, America" (after Sholom Asch), "Camera Obscura" (after Vladimir Nabokov
Vladimir Nabokov
Vladimir Vladimirovich Nabokov was a multilingual Russian novelist and short story writer. Nabokov wrote his first nine novels in Russian, then rose to international prominence as a master English prose stylist...
), "Wandering Stars" (after Sholom Aleikhem).
As a performer of cabaret-style performer Alexander Zhurbin is widely popular among Russians around the world. His brilliant piano performance and husky voice in conjunction with sophisticated and charming Russian-French melodies now won him love and recognition among Americans.
Presently he is predominantly living in Moscow, and traveling all over the world. He has written several major theatrical works: "Mousetrap" (musical after Agatha Christie
Agatha Christie
Dame Agatha Christie DBE was a British crime writer of novels, short stories, and plays. She also wrote romances under the name Mary Westmacott, but she is best remembered for her 66 detective novels and 14 short story collections , and her successful West End plays.According to...
), Humiliated and Insulted (opera after Dostoevsky) "The Seagull
The Seagull
The Seagull is the first of what are generally considered to be the four major plays by the Russian dramatist Anton Chekhov. The Seagull was written in 1895 and first produced in 1896...
"– operetta
Operetta
Operetta is a genre of light opera, light in terms both of music and subject matter. It is also closely related, in English-language works, to forms of musical theatre.-Origins:...
after Anton Chekhov
Anton Chekhov
Anton Pavlovich Chekhov was a Russian physician, dramatist and author who is considered to be among the greatest writers of short stories in history. His career as a dramatist produced four classics and his best short stories are held in high esteem by writers and critics...
and many others. All of them were produced in Moscow, Saint-Petersburg and another cities. Also he scored major mini-serial "Moscow Saga
Generations of Winter
Generations of Winter is a novel by Russian writer Vasily Aksyonov.Many critics have praised Generations of Winter as a new Doctor Zhivago large-scale Russian novel, which tells the story of a Russian family Gradov struggling to survive in the Stalinist era.As the Wall Street Journal has put it:...
" – after novel by Vasily Aksyonov
Vasily Aksyonov
Vasily Pavlovich Aksyonov was a Soviet and Russian novelist. He is known in the West as the author of The Burn and Generations of Winter , a family saga depicting three generations of the Gradov family between 1925 and 1953.-Early life:Vasily Aksyonov was...
Currently, the composer is working on major theatrical and movie projects.
His wife - Irina Ginzburg - is a poet, translator and writer. His son - Lev Zhurbin
Lev Zhurbin
Lev 'Ljova' Zhurbin is a composer, violist, and arranger. Ljova is the author of over 70 original compositions for classical, jazz, and folk music ensembles. He has also contributed musical scores to numerous short and feature films.Ljova immigrated to the United States in 1990 and currently...
- is a composer and performer, living in New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
.