Alexander Yuryevich Radvilovich (Russian: Александр Юрьевич Радвилович; born 1955) is a Russian composer, pianist, teacher, and lecturer from Leningrad (Saint Petersburg) who specializes in contemporary music discourses. He is the recipient of numerous domestic and foreign awards, and has had his compositions performed internationally, including Germany, Finland, the United Kingdom, and the United States. His musical style focuses on exploiting the extremes of music in order to create from them new modes of communication which are both accessible in nature for listeners yet complex in its language.[1]
Education
From 1962 to 1973, Alexander studied in the Secondary Specialized Music School within the St. Petersburg Conservatory in piano and theory with the composer Vladimir Arzumanov. Alexander happened to be his first graduate,[2] and due to this close relationship he would introduce Alexander to Nikolas Slonimsky. Alexander would go onto study at the St. Petersburg Conservatory in the faculty of composition under Slonimsky, graduating in 1978 and continuing his education through participation in numerous courses and private tutorship with European (non-Russian) composers like Witold Lutoslavsky, Boguslaw Schaeffer, Ton de Leeuw, and Klaus Huber.
Career
He is known for his symphonies of two of his own poems called Legend About Violinist and Pushkin. At one time, after reading Fyodor Dostoyevsky he composed a string quartet called The Boy at Christ’s New Year Celebration and also designed a mini opera called Let’s Write Fairy-tale. He also composed an opera called Hindrance which was based on Danii Kharms' poem Ruin of the Gods. Currently he is a member of both Russian Composer’s and Saint Petersburg Composer's Unions and works as music pedagogue at the Humanitarian University of the Petersburg Conservatory. On occasion, he tours the world as composer, pianist. His music is published and performed by various labels and ensembles in countries such as Russia, as Austria (ARBOS - Company for Music and Theatre),[3] the Netherlands and the United States.[4] He is the founder and artistic director of the annual festival Sound Ways International Festival of New Music,[5] dedicated to the presentation of contemporary music, and has served on competition jurys in countries such as Germany, Ukraine, and France.
Works
Piano
1973-74: Five Russian songs for piano
1976/80: Sotto voce - three pieces for piano
1982: Sonata for piano
1999: "Labyrinth" for two pianos
1993: "Galoshes of happiness" - for reader and piano four hands based on the fairy tale by G.Kh. Andersen
1994: Se(a)iten for extended piano
2008: Code of the Universe - concert etude for piano
2007: Classic Smile, dedicated to S. Slonimsky for piano
Symphonic
The Legend of the Violinist
Claustrophobia
Music for the Care of the Soul
Orchestral
1975: Elegy for chamber orchestra
1976: Poem for violin and orchestra
1977: Symphony No. 1 for symphony orchestra and male choir. Text by Katri Vala
2008: "Incredible Stories" for reciter and orchestra on texts by D. Bisset
Ensemble
2011: "Premonition of Winter" for bass flute, cor anglais and bass clarinet
2012: Dramma per musica for nine musicians (Fl/Picc, Cl, Fag, Cor, Pno, 2 Vns, Vla, Cello)
