Vadim Neselovskyi: PERSEVERANTIA [11/23/24]

A Suite for Piano and a String Trio (Violin, Viola and Cello)

In the words of the composer:

“My new work tells a story of compassion and empathy, of willpower and resistance, of sincerity and falsehood, of freedom and the arduous path to it. As a Ukrainian, I feel deeply connected to the current events in my country. However, this music is not only about the devastating war raging in my homeland. It speaks to all of us, reflecting on timeless human challenges and the best and worst aspects of our nature. Each of us has our own perseverantia and I hope this music offers a personal experience for everyone who listens.”

PERSEVERANTIA is a suite in 11 movements:

Before 24

Twenty-Four

March Passacaglia

I Don't Need a Ride

Orwell in Moscow

For Refugees

Dance of Ignorance

Letter from Mariupol

Prayer

Perseverantia

After 24

Vadim Neselovskyi — composer and pianist

As a young composer and pianist growing up in Odesa, Ukraine and then Germany, Vadim Neselovskyi discovered that his calling was not to follow any one stylistic path but to become a “creator of music.” He has long since fulfilled this early promise in ways both inventive and unexpected: as a composer whose vision is expansive enough to spark inspired interpretations from a jazz trio and a symphony orchestra alike; as an improviser carving surprising pathways through the straight ahead, the avant-garde, and the indefinable; and as a collaborator valued by peers, mentors and fellow innovators.

The Los Angeles Times has praised Neselovskyi’s “extraordinary playing” while The Guardian (UK) called him “the most promising of the young improvisers.” Whether as a pianist, composer, improviser, soloist or bandleader, Neselovskyi creates music that is truly inspired and wholly unique. His work has been played by jazz greats like Randy Brecker, Antonio Sanchez, Julian Lage, and Gary Burton, as well as classical artists (such as Daniel Gauthier, whose recording of Neselovskyi’s “San Felio” won an ECHO Classical Award) and symphony orchestras in the United States and Europe.

Neselovskyi's diverse talents have attracted the attention of revered artists crossing the boundaries of genre, including legendary vibraphonist Gary Burton, who famously enlisted Neselovskyi for his acclaimed Generations Quintet; the prestigious Graz Philharmoniker, which performed his composition “Prelude for Vibes” on their New Year’s program; iconoclastic composer/saxophonist John Zorn, who invited Neselovskyi to contribute to The Book Beriah, the final installment of his Masada project; and French horn/alphorn pioneer Arkady Shilkloper, a profound influence with whom the pianist now shares a longstanding duo collaboration.

In 2022, he paid tribute to his hometown with ODESA, a ruminative and poetic solo piano album featuring compositions inspired by Ukrainian landmarks like the Odesa Railway Station, Potemkin Stairs, and Odesa Conservatory. The New York Times classical critic Seth Colter Walls recently featured ODESA in “5 CLASSICAL ALBUMS YOU CAN LISTEN TO RIGHT NOW”. Additionally, the album has had recent media hits on NPR Morning Edition, WNYC's All of It with Alison Stewart, The PBS Newshour, The Boston Globe and many others all over Germany, Spain, France, the U.K., and elsewhere.

The New York Times writes about the album: “Vadim Neselovskyi’s … pianism shares the qualities of a sculpture carved in ice: finely wrought detail, sharply traced; glinting elegance; coolness to the touch; refractions of light. His right and left hands converse with each other in eager, enchanted dialogue. “

His latest project PERSEVERANTIA for piano and string trio premiered in 2023 to standing ovations in the US, Germany, Austria, Italy, and Poland. The release of PERSEVERANTIA is scheduled for early 2025.

Bengisu Gokce — violin

Turkish born and raised Bengisu Gokce is a multi-genre violinist and singer, known for combining her Turkish roots with Eastern-European and Middle-Eastern traditions.

As a professionally renowned performer, Gokce's versatile playing has led her to share the stage with several music icons, including Mark O’Connor, Tigran Hamasyan, Aynur Doğan, Shreya Ghoshal, Toninho Horta, Shankar Mahadevan, Simon Shaheen, Amal Murkus, and Pablo Ziegler.

Throughout her career she has performed in various distinguished venues such as Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, Boston Symphony Hall, American Repertory Theater, MFA Boston, Roulette Intermedium, Shapeshifter Lab, Ithra Theatre (Saudi Arabia) and Monte Carlo Salle Garnier (Monaco). She has also been featured in albums and recording projects with Indian tabla virtuoso Zakir Hussain, sitar virtuoso Purbayan Chatterjee, drummer Antonio Sánchez (Pat Metheny Group), clarinetist Ismail Lumanovski (NY Gypsy All Stars), and many more.

Gokce was one of the featured artists in the Berklee Indian Ensemble’s debut album Shuruaat, which was nominated for the Best Global Music Album at the 65th Annual Grammy ️Awards.

Mina Kim — cello

Hailed as “eloquent” by the Boston Globe, Korean-born cellist Mina Kim has been making music in the Boston area since 2010. As an active performer, Dr. Kim enjoys performing with the Rasa String Quartet and Trio Oko. As an educator, she teaches at Phillips Exeter Academy and College of the Holy Cross.

Dr. Kim debuted at Carnegie Hall with ROSIN for a fundraiser for the New York Women’s Foundation in 2017. She has also been a featured soloist with USP Chamber Orchestra and the Busan Philharmonic Orchestra. Her recent recording projects include A Far Cry, Awadagin Pratt, and Roomful of Teeth’s collaboration, Stillpoint. The album features Jesse Montgomery’s Rounds, which received a GRAMMY Award in 2024. Dr. Kim has attended various music festivals such as Tanglewood Music Center, Maine Chamber Music Seminar, and Lyricafest. A former member of the Hartford Symphony, Dr. Kim also enjoys being part of the cello sections of numerous orchestras around New England.

Dr. Kim has met amazing mentors along her musical journey, including Yeesun Kim, Mike Block, and Terry King, who have helped her become the cellist and musician she is today. Her dream is to become one of the great mentors for emerging cellists and to help them find their musical voices just as her teachers did for her. In 2023, Dr. Kim received a Doctor of Musical Arts degree at New England Conservatory with a minor in musicology.

Sofia Nikas — viola

An active orchestral and chamber musician, Sofia Nikas is a member of the New Bedford Symphony Orchestra and the Cape Cod String Quartet. As a chamber musician, Sofia has worked with members of the Borromeo, Miró, Pacifica, and Juilliard string quartets. Notable performances include Mendelssohn’s String Quintet No. 2 with violist Roberto Diaz at Tanglewood Music Center, Webern’s Langsamer Satz at New England Conservatory’s Jordan Hall, and Debussy’s Sonata for Flute, Viola and Harp for Performance Today hosted by Fred Child.

Sofia was a member of the Civic Orchestra of Chicago for four years, performing in Symphony Center and in public schools around Chicago. She has also performed with the Milwaukee Symphony, New World Symphony, and members of the San Antonio Symphony (now the San Antonio Philharmonic). For the past two summers, Sofia was a fellow at the Tanglewood Music Center, serving as principal viola under the batons of Andris Nelsons and Stefan Asbury. She has also spent summers at the Spoleto Festival in Charleston, South Carolina, Pacific Music Festival in Sapporo, Japan, and Aspen Music Festival in Aspen, Colorado.

Sofia received her Master of Music degree from the New England Conservatory studying with Marcus Thompson, and her Bachelor of Music degree from Indiana University Jacobs School of Music with Atar Arad. She has additionally studied with Li-Kuo Chang of the Chicago Symphony and Peter Slowik of Oberlin Conservatory.

Originally from San Antonio, Texas, Sofia began playing viola in her public elementary school’s after-school string program. She continues to be an advocate for free and public music education.

Vadim Neselovskyi: PERSEVERANTIA

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