Alexander Levkovich
Born: 1952, Archangelsk (Russia)
Died:
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Music
2001 "Three Revelations" for clarinet, violin, cello and piano written for Julian Milkis, Attis Bankas, Natalia Khoma and Nina Kogan (approx. 25 mins.) Braziliana No. 2 for clarinet and strings (approx. 18 mins.) Piano Sonata written for and dedicated to Sergei Babayan (approx. 20 mins.) "Soul Song" a compilation of musical works set to the poetry and prose of Alixe Gabriel (available on CD with the voice of Alixe Gabriel) (approx. 65 mins.)
2000 Trio "Révelations" for violin, cello, piano and narrator text by Valeri Afanassiev (approx. 30 mins.) written for Julian Milkis, Alexander Kniaziev, Valeri Afanassiev and Veniamin Smiekhov Piano Trio No. 2 for violin or clarinet, cello and piano commissioned by The Rachmaninoff Trio (approx. 20 mins.) Braziliana No. 1 for clarinet and strings (approx. 17 mins.)
1999 "Lullaby" for violin and piano, violin and strings or for clarinet and strings (approx. 8 mins.) "Quiet Music" for clarinet, viola, cello and harp (18:41) commissioned by The Continuum Contemporary Music Ensemble
1998 "There is No End to My Sorrow" for symphony orchestra (18:14) commissioned by Jukka-Pekka Saraste and The Toronto Symphony Orchestra
1996 Duo Concerto for violin, piano and fourteen strings (28:23) Piano Duo "Carpathian Rhapsody" (approx. 10 mins.)
1993 "Elegy of Sorrow" for violin, piano, narrator and chamber orchestra texts by Vladimir Nabokov and Joseph Brodsky (approx. 47 mins.) commissioned by The Swedish Philharmonic Orchestra and Gennady Rozhdestvensky
1992 Concerto for clarinet and chamber orchestra (approx. 25 mins.)
1990 Septet for flute, clarinet, piano and string quartet (approx. 15 mins.)
1989 Cantata No. 6 "Pasternak" for baritone and chamber orchestra text by Boris Pasternak (approx. 17 mins.)
1988 Cantata No. 5 "Chornobil" for baritone and chamber ensemble text by Pavlo Movchan (approx. 15 mins.) Triple Concerto for violin, cello, piano and strings (16:02) "Songs of Slavic Women" for soprano and orchestra text by Youri Ribchinsky (approx. 35 mins.)
1987 Cantata No. 4 "Michelangelo" for baritone and chamber orchestra text by Michelangelo (approx. 18 mins.) Trio No. 1 "Romantic Music" for violin, cello and piano (12:38)
1986 Cantata No. 3 "Isaakyan" for baritone and chamber orchestra text by Avetic Isaakyan (approx. 15 mins.) Piano Duo on a theme of "B A C H" Prelude and Toccata (5:23) Symphony "My Ukraine" for soprano, baritone and symphony orchestra texts by Vasil Dovzhik, Pavlo Movchan, Vasil Symonenko (27:10)
1985 Cantata No. 2 "Pushkin" for baritone and chamber orchestra text by Alexander Pushkin (12:35) Symphony for Sixteen Strings (23:22)
1984 Sonatina for flute and piano (4:48) Chamber Cantata No. 1 "Lorka" for baritone and chamber orchestra text by Garcia Lorka (approx. 20 mins.) Symphony for Baritone and Symphony Orchestra based on selected works of medieval Japanese poets (approx. 19 mins.) Sonata for viola and piano for Dimitri Shostakovich, in memoriam (18:52) "Burlesque" for piano (approx. 4 mins.
Biography
Though born in the Archangelsk region of Russia in 1952, also the birthplace of his mother, a prominent operatic diva whose ancestry dates back to an ancient and noble family of Istomin, Alexander Levkovich spent most of his life in Ukraine. Immersing himself in musical studies in the western Ukrainian city of Lviv, he first became familiar with the works of Győrgy Ligeti, Anton Webern and Alfred Schnittke that were to become among the greatest influences in his music. It was during this time that the great Valentin Silvestrov befriended the young composer, becoming both his mentor and a dedicated champion of his music. Today, Maestro Silvestrov can be found at each and every performance of Mr. Levkovich"s music in his native city of Kiev. In 1980, Alexander Levkovich graduated from the Lysenko Academy of Music having earned both a degree in Piano Performance and Composition between 1971 and 1980. In 1983, Mr. Levkovich was invited to become a member of the Creative Composer"s League of the former Soviet Union, therein taking his place among the finest creative minds of that country. During this time, many of his works were performed by leading soloists and orchestras in cities throughout the former Soviet Union, including Kiev, St. Petersburg, Baku, Yerevan and Tbilisi. A master of many musical genres, he had already to date produced a prolific quantity of works, including three symphonies, six chamber cantatas for baritone and chamber orchestra, as well as two concerti. In 1989, Alexander Levkovich was named Composer of the Year in Ukraine, the highest honour possible to be bestowed upon a composer in that country. In July, 1988, Alexander Levkovich"s Cantata No. 5 Chornobil for baritone and chamber ensemble had its world premiere on Radio Liberty in Munich. This work was banned in the USSR at that time due to the tense political situation surrounding the Chornobil incident. This work is based on a text by one of Ukraine"s most revered poets, Pavlo Movchan, who took it upon himself to spearhead the heroic effort to record and broadcast this work. Needless to say, it caused an uproar in eastern Europe, not only due to its narrative content, but as well as to it"s deeply sensitive, yet passionate programmatic nature. Now, while at the peak of his career, Mr. Levkovich emmigrated to Israel, where for two years, his broad exposure there perpetuated performances not only in Israel, but also in other countries, namely, in Italy and The United States: in 1991, at the Fifth International Festival of Chamber Music in Camerino, Italy, the composer himself participated as pianist in performances of his Piano Trio "Romantic Music" and Septet along with Philip Hirshkhorn, Julian Milkis, Dimitri Yablonsky and others. (Other distinguished musicians taking part in the festival included Martha Argerich, Valeri Afanassiev, Youri Bashmet, Alexander Rabinovich, Dora Schvartsberg and Vadim Sakharov.) Then, in 1992, Mr. Levkovich"s Symphony for String Orchestra received rave reviews after a performance with the Brooklyn Philharmonic Orchestra in NYC. In that same year, Mr. Levkovich became a resident of Canada, and has remained as such to date. The composer has recently received the Best Music award at the Nickle Independent Film and Video Festival in Newfoundland. The "Best Music Award" was given for the film "Songs of Youth...a film that has a big heart...a blind protagonist who sees more than most" - Paul Cox, filmmaker. A member of film festival’s jury.
Word of Alexander Levkovich"s extraordinary talent traveled quickly. In 1993, conductor Gennady Rozdestvensky and the Stockholm Philharmonic commissioned a work from the composer. What ensued was the "Elegy of Sorrow" to texts by both Vladimir Nabokov and Joseph Brodsky, for solo violin and piano, narrator and chamber orchestra. Shortly thereafter, Mr. Levkovich was once again commissioned to write; this time it was at the request of conductor Jukka-Pekka Saraste and the Toronto Symphony Orchestra. His orchestral work "There is No End to My Sorrow" was performed twice by the TSO at Roy Thompson Hall in Toronto. Tamara Bernstein, Music Critic for the National Post in Toronto, described the work as "quietly noble...with an expert but unostentatious orchestration". Other highlights of recently performed works include: the Piano Trio No. 2, commissioned by The Rachmaninoff Trio, performed in Toronto in May, 2000, the Duo Concerto for violin, piano and fourteen strings performed by the Kiev Camerata at the Organ Hall in Kiev, in September 2000, the "Lullaby" for clarinet and piano, performed by Julian Milkis and Vadim Sakharov at the Sviatoslav Richter Chamber Music Festival "December Evenings", the most prestigious music festival in the world in Moscow, in December 2000, and Braziliana No. 1 for clarinet and strings, performed by Julian Milkis and the Ensemble del Arte under the direction of Alexander Brussilovsky, at the Kongregationsaal und Boxenstall Neuberg an der Donau, in Neuberg, Germany, in May 2001, as well as the "Elegy of Sorrow" for violin, piano, narrator and chamber orchestra performed by the Kiev Camerata in May, 2001, in Kiev. In December, 2001, several of Mr. Levkovich"s works are scheduled for performance in the finest concert halls in Russia, namely: the Tchaikovsky Concert Hall, the Great Hall of the Moscow State Conservatory, and both the Philharmonic and Capella in St. Petersburg. To be performed are his Braziliana No. 1 as well as a world premiere performance of his Trio "Révelations", by the following distinguished artists: clarinetist Julian Milkis, cellist Alexander Kniaziev, pianist Valeri Afanassiev and actor Veniamin Smiekhov as narrator. Scheduled for performance as well are an arrangement of the Aria from Villa Lobos" Bachiana No. 5 for clarinet, cello and strings, and an arrangement of the Adagietto from Mahler’s 5th Symphony for clarinet, cello, harp and string orchestra. These arrangements will be performed by several orchestras with solo guest artists Julian Milkis and Alexander Kniaziev.
Alexander Levkovich"s son, pianist and composer, Dimitri Levkovich graduated from the Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia with a degree in composition at the age of nineteen. Prior to that, he won third prize in the Missouri International Piano Competition in 1997 at the age of 18. Dimitri later went on to study piano at the Cleveland Institute of Music with pianist Sergei Babayan and is currently studying with Andre Laplante in Toronto. In May, 2001, his work, "Fantasy for Piano and Orchestra" was performed by himself at the keyboard, with the National Symphony Orchestra of Ukraine.
Recentely, Alexander Levkovich had two very successful performances of his latest compositions - one at The Great Hall of the Moscow Conservatory on December 19, and the other at the Great Hall of the St. Petersburg Philharmony on December 22, 2001.
Concerts
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