THE LIVING COMPOSERS PROJECT  

Alexander Grinberg

(b. 1961, Kharkiv).

Ukrainian composer, now resident in Germany, of mostly chamber and piano works that have been performed throughout Europe and elsewhere.

Mr. Grinberg graduated in composition from the College of Music in Kharkiv in 1980 and later studied composition with Igor Kovach at the I. P. Kotlyarevsky State University of the Arts in Kharkiv, where he graduated in 1985.

Among his honours is the Ilya Slatin Prize from the City Council of Kharkiv (1999, for From the Abyss, House Plant and Symbols of Time). His music has been performed in Austria, Belarus, Croatia, Germany, Latvia, the Netherlands, North Macedonia, Russia, Switzerland, Ukraine, the UK, and the USA.

He taught composition, music history and music theory at a music school for children in Kharkiv from 1987–95 and at the College of Music in Kharkiv from 1987–94 and 2000–03. He also taught composition, instrumentation and music theory at the I. P. Kotlyarevsky State University of the Arts from 1994–2003. He taught as an assistant in musicology at the Folkwang Universität der Künste in Essen in 2005–06 and has taught at the Marina Kheifets Musikschule Subito und Akademie in Düsseldorf since 2008.

He has lived in Germany since 2003.

CONTACT INFORMATION

E-mail address: agrinberg@gmx.de

Website: http://www.alexander-grinberg.de/index_en.html

SELECT LIST OF WORKS

ORCHESTRAL:

Carillon, small orchestra/orchestra (3 flutes, oboe, 2 clarinets, soprano saxophone, bassoon, French horn, trumpet, trombone, tuba, 5 percussion, 12/24 strings), 1990

From the Abyss, 16 strings, 1996

Crazy Jingles, flute, 18 strings, 2002

CHAMBER MUSIC:

Seven Études, clarinet, 1990

Shimmering, string quartet, 1991

Mantras, 7 recorders, 1992

Music for a Friend, vibraphone, 1992, revised 2002

Circles on the Water, 2 guitars, 1993

House Plant, flute, clarinet, violin, cello, piano, xylorimba, 1993

In Harmony, flute, oboe, clarinet, bassoon, French horn, trumpet, trombone, 2 violins, viola, cello, double bass, 1994, revised 2000

Pen Drawing, clarinet, violin, 2 violas, double bass, accordion, 1995

Sounds of the Town, alto saxophone, 1995

At Right Angles, violin, piano, 1996

Roslavets Capriccio, violin, 1996

Symbols of Time, soprano saxophone, cello, 1998

Shifting Mirrors, clarinet, piano, 1999

Tiger's Fantasy, trombone, 1999

Mozart-Veränderung, oboe, 2000

Four Inventions, cello, 2002

Distortions, double bass, piano, 2006

Dichtung, oboe, clarinet, bassoon, French horn, trumpet, trombone, 2 violins, viola, cello, double bass, percussion, 2008

Angel's Smile, accordion, 2008

CHORAL:

Sulamith (text from the Song of Solomon [English translation]), 16 mixed voices, 2 trumpets, 3 trombones, 1997

Ein Neues Lied (texts from Psalm 149, Psalm 1, Psalm 2, Psalm 115, Psalm 12, Psalm 13, Psalm 14, Psalm 117), mixed chorus, 1998, revised 2004

By the Rivers of Babylon (text from Psalm 137), female chorus, 2001

Dilexi (text from Psalm 114), mixed chorus, 2003

VOCAL:

Cantos (text by Dan Albertson), soprano, oboe, bass clarinet, viola, cello, percussion, 2005

PIANO:

Prelude, 1980

Partita, 1980, revised 2001

Castles in the Air, 1983, revised 2000

Polyphonic Games, 1987–89

Mobile-Immobile, 1990, revised 1996

Sonatina, 2000

ARRANGEMENTS:

Hemmerl (folksong in Yiddish), 5 mixed voices, 2006

Sholem (folksong in Yiddish), 5 mixed voices, piano, 2006