Alexander Radvilovich: l’éclat des ténèbres

Alexander Radvilovich (*1955) is a Russian composer and pianist. A graduate of Saint Petersburg State Conservatory in the composition class of Professor Sergei Slonimsky, he interned at the composers’ workshops in Poland, Holland and Germany conducted by B. Lutoslawski, B. Schaeffer, T. de Leeuw, P.-H.Dittrich, and B. Ferneyhough. The latest trends in European music form the basis of his creative work.

He was a prizewinner at the Queen Marie-Jose International Competition (Geneva, Switzerland, 1992) and received the International J.W. Stamitz Special Award (Esslingen, Germany, 1998). He was awarded scholarships by the Ministry of Culture of the Russian Federation (1997, 1999, 2000) and the Russian Authors’ Society (2006-2010). Also, he was awarded “Person of the Year” in the “Composer” category, according to the national newspaper “Music Review” (2007).

Among his compositions there are – two symphonies, the symphonic poem “The Legend of the Violinist” and Concerto for English horn and Chamber Orchestra; Chamber Concerto for Harpsichord and Strings; Concerto for Violin, Stings and Percussion; Chamber Symphony “Pushkin”; Chekhov-Symphony for symphony orchestra; Sinfonia Sacra for Chorus and Ensemble; Four Psalms for Two Pianos De Profundis Temporum; Chamber opera “Hindrance” to the words of D. Kharms; “Gotterdammerung” – postlude in memory of Verdi; “The Boy at Christ’s Christmas Party” (after reading Dostoevsky) for string quartet, percussion and sound recordings;

a fun mini-opera “Let’s Write a Story” for two soloists and chorus; Sequence in memory of Luciano Berio for women’s choir, string orchestra and percussion; anti-utopia “Big Brother” to the words of Orwell, Zamyatin, Huxley, and Hesse; “The Passion of Judas” as well as vocal, choral, chamber and instrumental works and music for children.

Alexander Radvilovich – is a member of the Composers’ Union of Russia, Secretary of the Union of Composers of St. Petersburg, founder and artistic director of the International Festival of New Music “Sound Ways” and the founder of the creative association of the same name, which unites avant-garde musicians from Europe, Asia, USA and Russia.

Currently, Radvilovich teaches at the Saint Petersburg State Conservatory, the University of Humanities and tours as a composer, solo pianist and leader of his ensemble of contemporary music “Sound Ways”; gives lectures in Russian and foreign universities and conducts international Master Classes in Europe, Asia and the USA. Alexander Radvilovich is the first Russian composer who gave talks at the International Summer Courses in Darmstadt (1992).

The composer’s music has been performed and recorded by radio stations around the world and has been published by music publishing companies in Russia, Holland and the United States.