Vadim Neselovskyi: Odesa Suite

The world at large has been inundated with news from the Russian incursion into the country of Ukraine. While the storms of war gather, pianist and composer Vadim Neselovskyi chooses to remind people of the country’s beauty and cultural legacy. More specifically, Neselovskyi looks to his hometown on the Black Sea to inspire his new solo recording, Odesa: A Musical Walk Through a Legendary City. The pianist looked to Modest Mussorgsky’s Pictures at an Exhibition as inspiration for the programming of the Odesa Suite, which he will perform at our venue.

Vadim Neselovskyi was a child musical prodigy who became the youngest person accepted in the Odesa Conservatory. He moved to America, where he played with legendary vibes player Gary Burton, who also performed Vadim’s compositions. The Ukrainian pianist began to explore his Jewish musical roots in collaboration with John Zorn on the eclectic composer’s own Tzadik label, recording a piano duo with Craig Taborn. His political involvement with his home country comes to the fore in the benefit concerts he participates in.