Alexander Levkovich

Internet Edition compiled by Onno van Rijen

Updated 20 February 1999

Born

In 1952 in the Archangelsk region of Russia in 1952. He spent most of his life in Ukraine.

Education

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.

Style

Levkovich first became familiar with the works of Gyorgy Ligeti, Anton Webern and Alfred Schnittke that were to become among the greatest influences in his music. It was during this time that the Valentin Silvestrov befriended the young composer, becoming both his mentor and a dedicated champion of his music.

Works

"Burlesque" for piano (1984)
Duration: 4 minutes.
First performance in January 1984 in Kiev, Ukraine by the Kiev Camerata
Sonata for viola and piano (1984)
To the Memory of Dmitry Shostakovich
Duration: 19 minutes.
First performance in January 1984 in Kiev, Ukraine by the Kiev Camerata
Symphony for Baritone and Symphony Orchestra (1984)
Based on selected works of medieval Japanese poets.
Duration: 19 minutes.
First performance in Kiev, Ukraine, April 1984, National Symphony Orchestra
Chamber Cantata No. 1 "Lorka" for baritone and chamber orchestra (1984)
Text by Garcia Lorka.
Duration: 20 minutes.
First performance in March 1984 in Kiev, Ukraine by the Kiev Camerata.
Sonatina for flute and piano (1984)
Duration: 5 minutes.
First performance in April 1984 in Kiev, Ukraine by the Kiev Camerata.
Symphony for Sixteen Strings (1985)
Duration: 24 minutes.
First performance in New York, USA, January 1982, Brooklin Pholarmonic Orchestra.
Cantata No. 2 "Pushkin" for baritone and chamber orchestra (1985)
Text by Alexander Pushkin.
Duration: 13 minutes.
First performance in May 1985 in Kiev, Ukraine by the Kiev Camerata.
Symphony "My Ukraine" for soprano, baritone and symphony orchestra (1986)
Texts by Vasil Dovzhik, Pavlo Movchan and Vasil Symonenko.
Duration: 27 minutes.
First performance in Kiev, Ukraine, February 1989, Kiev National Symphony Orchestra.
Piano Duo on a theme of "BACH" Prelude and Toccata (1986)
Duration: 6 minutes.
First performance in October 1986 in Kiev, Ukraine by the Kiev Camerata.
Cantata No. 3 "Isaakyan" for baritone and chamber orchestra (1986)
Text by Avetic Isaakyan.
Duration: 15 minutes.
First performance in December 1986 in Kiev, Ukraine by the Kiev Camerata.
Trio No. 1 "Romantic Music" for violin, cello and piano (1987)
Duration: 13 minutes.
First performance in January 1987 in Kiev, Ukraine by the Kiev Camerata.
Cantata No. 4 "Michelangelo" for baritone and chamber orchestra (1987)
Text by Michelangelo.
Duration: 18 minutes.
First performance in Baku, Azerbaidjan, November 1989, Baku Philarmonic Chamber Orchestra/
"Songs of Slavic Women" for soprano and orchestra (1988)
Text by Youri Rybchinsky.
Duration: 35 minutes.
Triple Concerto for violin, cello, piano and strings (1988)
Duration: 16 minutes.
First performance in March 1988 in Kiev, Ukraine by the Kiev Camerata.
Cantata No. 5 "Chornobil" for baritone and chamber ensemble (1988)
Text by Pavlo Movchan.
Duration: 15 minutes.
First performance in Munich, Germany, July 1988, Radio Liberty Broadcast.
Cantata No. 6 "Pasternak" for baritone and chamber orchestra (1989)
Text by Boris Pasternak.
Duration: 17 minutes.
First performance in January 1989 in Kiev, Ukraine by the Kiev Camerata.
Septet for flute, clarinet, piano and string quartet (1990)
Duration: 15 minutes.
First performance in Camerino, Italy, August 1991, at the International Festival.
Concerto for clarinet and chamber orchestra (1992)
Duration: 25 minutes.
First performance in May 2002 in Kiev, Ukraine by the Kiev Camerata.
"Elegy of Sorrow" for violin, piano, narrator and chamber orchestra (1993)
Texts by Vladimir Nabokov and Joseph Brodsky.
Commissioned by The Swedish Philharmonic Orchestra and Gennady Rozhdestvensky.
Duration: 47 minutes.
First performance in Kiev, Ukraine, May 2001, Kiev Philarmonic Orchestra.
Piano Duo "Carpathian Rhapsody" (1996)
Duration: 10 minutes.
First performance in Toronto, Canada, June 1996, Yuri and Nelia Krechkovsky, piano, The Glen Guld Studio.
Duo Concerto for violin, piano and fourteen strings (1996)
Duration: 29 minutes.
First performance in September 2000 in Kiev, Ukraine by the Kiev Camerata.
"There is No End to My Sorrow" for symphony orchestra (1998)
Commissioned by Jukka-Pekka Saraste and The Toronto Symphony Orchestra.
Duration: 18 minutes.
First performance in Toronto, Canada, April 1999, The Toronto Symphony Orchestra under M. Jukka-Pekka Sarraste, Roy Thompson Hall.
"Quiet Music" for clarinet, viola, cello and harp (1999)
Commissioned by The Continuum Contemporary Music Ensemble.
Duration: 19 minutes.
First performance in Toronto, Canada, June 1999, The Continuum Contemporary Music Ensemble.
"Lullaby" for violin and piano, violin and strings or for clarinet and strings (1999)
Duration: 8 minutes.
First performance in Moscow, Russia, December 2000, at the Sviatoslav Richter Decemver Evenings Music Festival, Julian Milkis, clarinet, Vadim Sakharov, piano.
Braziliana No. 1 for clarinet and strings (2000)
Duration: 17 minutes.
First performance in Neuberg, Germany, May 2001, Ensemble Del Arte.
Piano Trio No. 2 "Holocaust" for violin or clarinet, cello and piano (2000)
Commissioned by The Rachmaninov Trio.
Duration: 20 minutes.
First performance in Toronto, Canada, May 2000, The Canadian Chamber Academy.
Trio "Révelations" for violin, cello, piano and narrator (2000)
Text by Valeri Afanassiev.
Written for Julian Milkis, Alexander Kniaziev, Valeri Afanassiev and Veniamin Smiekhov.
Duration: 30 minutes.
First performance in Moscow, Russia, December 19, 2001, Great Hall of Moscow Conservatory and St. Petersburg, Russia, December 22, 2001, St. Petersburg Philarmonic.
Braziliana No. 2 for clarinet and strings (2001)
Duration: 18 minutes.
First performance in Neuberg, Germany, May 2001, Ensemble Del Arte.
"Three Revelations" for clarinet, violin, cello and piano (2001)
Duration: 25 minutes.
First performance in Lviv, Ukraine, October 2001. Lviv Philharmonic Hall, Kiev Camerata.
Requiem for soprano, mezzo, tenor, baritone, choir and orchestra (2002)
Text by Alixe Gabriel.
Duration: 90 minutes.
"The Age Of Aquarius" for soprano, baritone, bass-clarinet, piano, vocal quartet (SATB) and string quartet (2002)
Text by Alixe Gabriel.
Duration: 20 minutes.
Sonata for cello and piano (2004)
Duration: 25 minutes.

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