Artist description Lev "Ljova" Zhurbin was born in Moscow, Russia, in 1978. Since 1990, he has lived in New York City. Having just finished his studies at the famous Juilliard School, he is now busy pursuing his Projects - composing, improvising, collaborating with various musicians and artists on and off the net. Several exciting projects are in the works, so please check back often!

Musical Influences My father, Kurt Weill, John Zorn, Anton Webern, Leonard Bernstein, Bill Evans, Nina Simone, Ennio Morricone, David Goodman, Astor Piazolla, Toru Takemitsu, Carter Burwell, Rolfe Kent, Philip Glass

Similar Artists My father, John Zorn, Carter Burwell, Kurt Weill, Ennio Morricone, Eno, Björk, Gustav Mahler, Shostakovich ...

Artist History LEV ZHURBIN (a.k.a LJOVA) is a Russian-born composer and performer based in New York City who is fast becoming known as one of the most versatile musicians of his generation. The 2002-2003 season has seen Lev entrusted with two major orchestral commissions; two scores for short films; his first original feature film score; music for a dance production; and a commercial. A new recording of his "Sicilienne," performed by Soheil Nasseri, was produced by 17-time Grammy winner Max Wilcox and released on the 21st Century Classical label. In addition to composing, Lev maintains a busy schedule as a violist, recently premiering the Concerto for Viola and Orchestra by Newton Strandberg, as well as performing jazz with Steven Bernstein’s Millennial Mob and jazz-guitar legend Bucky Pizzarelli. Born in Moscow, Russia, Lev is the son of the celebrated Russian composer and producer Alexander Zhurbin, and poet Irena Ginzburg. He began his musical training at the age of four, studying violin with Galina Turchaninova (who also taught and Vadim Repin, among others). In 1990, he moved to New York with his parents and continued his studies at the Manhattan School of Music Preparatory Division with Emanuel Vardi and Karen Ritscher, and at the Juilliard School with violist and composer Samuel Rhodes. Lev has studied composition with his father, as well as Bruce Adolphe, Christopher Vassiliades, Tom Cipullo and Alexander Yagupsky. He has garnered top honors from ASCAP, the National Guild of Community Schools of the Arts, and the Frederick Delius Prize from Jacksonville University. During his Juilliard years, Lev had the opportunity to perform with the Orchestra of St. Luke's, the critically acclaimed young orchestra The Wild Ginger Philharmonic, and to record with the Electric Light Orchestra. He has worked with many leading conductors, including Christoph Eschenbach, Sir Colin Davis, Vladimir Spivakov, Petr Kotik, Leonard Slatkin, Jonathan Strasser, Gerard Schwarz, Robert Spano, Randall Behr, Jaime Laredo, Andre Previn, as well as soloists like Yo-Yo Ma, Emanuel Ax and Renee Fleming. An avid performer of contemporary music, Lev has premiered many works with the Absolute Ensemble, the New Juilliard Ensemble, as well as the Orchestra of the SEM Ensemble. Lev's numerous compositions have been widely performed in the United States and Europe, as well as throughout the world via the Internet. His music has been heard in concert halls, jazz clubs, at international film festivals and theatre productions. In New York, Lev's music has been heard in Weill Recital Hall, the Great Hall at Cooper Union, Bargemusic, the Angel Orensanz Center for the Arts, LaMama E.T.C., Nublu Lounge, The Living Room, Paul Hall at the Juilliard School, among other venues. In Europe, Lev’s music has been featured at the Edinburgh Festival in Scotland and the Schleswig-Holstein Musik Festival in Germany. Lev is currently at work on a new project commissioned by the Angel Orensanz Foundation and funded by the Jerome Foundation, American Composers Forum and Arts International. For the latest information on this project, Lev's many activities, as well as one of the largest online archives of recorded new compositions by a living composer, please visit his website at www.Ljova.com

Group Members Some of the people who've championed my music: Jeremie Michael, The Manhattan Virtuosi, Denis Segond, Sybille Werner, the New York Symphonic Arts Ensemble, The Quinten String Quartet, The Empyreal String Quartet, Mark Peskanov, Joan Kwuon, Daniel Panner, Nina Svetlanova, the Wild Ginger Philharmonic, Elizabeth Morgan, Ariel DeWolf, Yi-Heng Yang, Jesse Mills, among many others. Thank you!

Instruments viola, violin, fiddle, synths, and many brilliant friends

Albums Sevaral DAM CDs (in various compilations) available right here on mp3.com. Please pick the combination you like, and send as Christmas presents!

Press Reviews "Visionary composer and improvisor" (Eyran Katsenelenbogen) // From the "Improvisation Station": "An audible train of thought. Lovely. In a perfect world I would love to hear this guy improvise with Gavin Bryars doing likewise on the double bass. That would be very special." /// From a review on Listen.com: "Russian-born, N.Y.-based prodigy able to move deftly between a range of classical idioms and eras. From charming, consonant chamber pieces to atonal string works, with side trips into avant-garde percussion and cartoonish electronics, this is consistently impressive stuff." // "Beautiful!" (Fisher, Interscope Records artist)

Additional Info If you like what you hear, please consider telling a friend. Many thanks.

Location New York City, NY - USA

Copyright notice. All material on MP3.com is protected by copyright law and by international treaties. You may download this material and make reasonable number of copies of this material only for your own personal use. You may not otherwise reproduce, distribute, publicly perform, publicly display, or create derivative works of this material, unless authorized by the appropriate copyright owner(s).