Yuriy Leonovich
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Yuriy Leonovich (b. 25 March 1984, Kiev, Ukraine) is a Ukrainian-Jewish cellist, composer.
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[edit] Biography
Leonovich comes from a family where music has skipped a generation. Both of his grandfathers were trained musicians: Vasily Leonovich, a clarinetist; and David Mosonzhnik, a trombonist and graduate of the great Kiev Conservatory, in Kiev, Ukraine. In 1995, A year after the Leonovich family moved to the U.S., he began his musical studies under Barbara Maxwell, at Birney Middle School, in Southfield, Michigan. Since then, Leonovich has studied with David Levine, Robert Bergman, Marcy Chanteaux, Robert deMaine and Stephen Geber. He has also performed with such great names as the late Cantor Stephen Dubov, at New York's Carnegie Hall, and Cantor David Montefiore, at Tucson's Historic Stone Avenue Temple. Leonovich briefly studied the clarinet and played Klezmer music with the Kidz Klez Band of Michigan.
Leonovich has appeared as soloist with the Wayne State University Symphony Orchestra, where he served as principal cellist, under Kypros Markou. His appearance with the WSU Winds, playing Johan de Meij’s Casanova, stirred quite a sensation.
[edit] The Composer
Leonovich has produced an impressive number of compositions since he was 12 years old. His catalogue ranges from Russian Lieder, to the 32 Cello Concertos, to the countless arrangements and orchestrations. He studied composition with James Hartway, at Wayne State University.
Leonovich's recent completion of Tchaikovsky's projected Cello Concerto has left his colleagues speechless. His journey was accompanied by Brett Langston, an author and Tchaikovsky specialist.
Leonovich aspires to be like the musician/composers Gaspar Cassado and Fritz Kreisler.
[edit] Compositions
- Cello Concerto No.23, in B minor (2001) - the composer's first premiere, with pianist Martin Mandelbaum.
- Cello Concerto No.28, in D-flat Major (2002) - the first piece that used a leitmotif, throughout the piece. Performed at student recitals with Marcy Chanteaux.
- Cello Concerto No.30, in E Major (2002) - A musical parody on Haydn's D major Cello Concerto.
- Sinfonia Concertante, Op.54 (2003) - a reworking of the 22nd Concerto, venturing into atonality.
- A Wandering Klezmer, Op.55 (2003) - a sonata for clarinet solo, using familiar Klezmer techniques, such as chirping and glissandi. Premiered by Joseph O'Kelly.
- Sonata for Violin and Cello, Op.56 (2003)
- Sonatensatz (A Fifth of Life), Op.57 (2004) - A piece written to celebrate the composer's own 20th birthday. The "5" pattern dominates the piece. Premiered at the 32nd Annual Wayne State University Composers' Concert, with pianist Chris Kingins.
- Fantasie-Impromptu, Op.58 (2004) - Premiered at the composer's cello audition for the Cleveland Institute of Music
- Cello Concerto (2006) - An orchestrated/expanded version of the Sonatensatz.
- Tchaikovsky - Cello Concerto in B minor - based on Tchaikovsky's sketches to a projected Cello Concerto (1893). The article about the concerto's completion is featured on the official Tchaikovsky Research Site: www.tchaikovsky-research.org.
[edit] Arrangements
- Tomaso Albinoni - Adagio in G Minor, for cello quartet (2002)
- J.S. Bach - Little Fugue, for cello quartet (2002)
- Antonín Dvořák - Romance, Op.11, for cello and piano (2002)
- Franz Liszt - Hungarian Rhapsody no.5, in E Minor, for cello and piano (2002)
- W.A. Mozart - String Quartet No.23, K.589 Transposed to F Major, for cello quartet (2006)
- Igor Stravinsky - Rite of Spring (1913), for cello octet (2006)
- Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky - Meditation Op.72 no.5, for cello and piano (2005)
- Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky - Impromptu-Caprice (1885), for orchestra (2003)
- Henryk Wieniawski - Airs Russes, Op.6, for cello and piano (1999)
- Henryk Wieniawski - Scherzo Tarantelle, Op.16, for cello and piano Transposed to D minor (2002)
- Henryk Wieniawski - Legende, Op.17, for cello and piano (2001)
