Mr. Silvestrov began private music studies at age fifteen and studied at the Stetsenko Evening Music School for Adults in Kyiv from 1953–55, where he graduated with a Gold Medal. He studied at the Institute of Construction Engineering in Kyiv from 1955–58 before choosing a career in music. He studied composition with Borys Lyatoshynsky and counterpoint and harmony with Levko Revutsky at the National Music Academy of Ukraine in Kyiv from 1958–64.

His honors include the International Koussevitzky Prize in Washington, DC (1967), First Prize in the Gaudeamus competition (1970) and the Shevchenko State Prize from the government of Ukraine (1995).

He taught music theory at various children's schools in Ukraine from 1964–72.

Muzychna Ukraina publishes his music, which is distributed by the Beliaeff Foundation/Edition Peters.

CONTACT INFORMATION

Street address: Mr. Valentin Silvestrov, ul. Entusiasty 35, bk. 1, kv. 49, 04146 Kyiv, Ukraine

Telephone: + 3804 4544 7987

SELECT LIST OF WORKS

ORCHESTRAL: Symphony No. 1, 1963, revised 1974; Classical Overture, 1964; Spectra, small orchestra, 1965; Monodia, piano, orchestra, 1965; Symphony No. 2, flute, piano, timpani, string orchestra, 1965; Symphony No. 3, 'Eschatophony', 1966; Hymne, 5 ensembles, 1967; Poem in Memory of Borys Lyatoshynsky, 1968; Meditation (symphony), cello, small orchestra, 1972; Symphony No. 4, orchestra (brass, strings), 1976; Serenade, string orchestra, 1978; Symphony No. 5, 1980–82; Intermezzo, small orchestra, 1983; Postludium (symphonic poem), piano, orchestra, 1984; Exegi monumentum (symphony, text by Aleksandr Pushkin), baritone, orchestra, 1985–87; Widmung (symphony-concerto), violin, orchestra, 1990–91; Metamusik (symphony), piano, orchestra, 1992; Symphony No. 6, 1994–95; The Messenger, synthesizer (+ piano), string orchestra, 1996–97; Epitaph, piano, string orchestra, 1999; Autumn Serenade, small orchestra, 2000; Hymn 2001, string orchestra, 2001; Walzer, 2002; Symphony No. 7, 2003

CHAMBER MUSIC: Quintet, piano, string quartet, 1961; Quartetto piccolo, string quartet, 1961; Trio, flute, trumpet, celesta, 1962; Mysterium, alto flute, 6 percussion, 1964; Projections, harpsichord, vibraphone, tubular bells, 1965; Drama, violin, cello, piano, 1970–71, revised 2002; String Quartet No. 1, 1974; Postludium, violin, 1981; Postludium, cello, piano, 1982; Sonata, cello, piano, 1983; String Quartet No. 2, 1988; Post Scriptum (sonata), violin, piano, 1990–91; Misterioso, clarinet, piano, 1996; Orfeo – Eternal Melody, synthesizer, 1997–98; Elegy, cello (+ 2 tam-tams), 1999; Epitaph (L.B.), viola/cello, piano, 1999; Lacrimosa, viola, 2003; 28 July 1750...in Memory of J.S.B., cello, 2004; 8 June 1810...to the Birthday of R.Sch., 2 celli, 2004

CHORAL: Cantata (text by Taras Shevchenko), mixed chorus, 1977; Diptych (texts from the Pater noster, Taras Shevchenko), mixed chorus, 1995; Elegy (text by Taras Shevchenko), mixed chorus, 1996; Requiem for Larissa (texts from the Mass, Taras Shevchenko), mixed chorus, orchestra, 1997–99

VOCAL: Two Romances (text by Aleksandr Blok), middle voice, piano, 1960; Cantata (texts by Fyodor Tyutchev, Aleksandr Blok), soprano, small orchestra, 1973; Silent Songs (song-cycle, texts by Aleksandr Pushkin, Mikhail Lermontov, John Keats, Sergey Yesenin, Taras Shevchenko, Fyodor Tyutchev, Osip Mandelstam), baritone, piano, 1974–77; Ancient Ballad, voice, piano, 1977; Forest Music (text by Gennady Aygi), soprano, French horn, piano, 1977–78; Simple Songs (song-cycle, texts by Osip Mandelstam, Aleksandr Pushkin, anonymous), middle voice, piano, 1974–81; Postludium D-S-C-H, soprano, violin, cello, piano, 1981; Stupeni – Steps, soprano, piano, 1982, revised 1998; Four Songs (text by Osip Mandelstam), baritone, piano, 1982; Ode to the Nightingale (cantata, text by John Keats), soprano, small orchestra, 1983; The River of Times (text by Gavriil Derzhavin), middle voice, piano, 1999; Morning Song, soprano, piano, 2000; The Final Tune of a Wayfarer (text by Jarosław Iwaszkiewicz), soprano, piano, 2002; Three Songs to Poems by Gennady Aygi, soprano, piano, 2003; Diptych (text by Fyodor Tyutchev), soprano, piano, 2004; Lullaby for Emily – The Cat and the Pianist (text by the composer), soprano, piano, 2004; Moments of Poetry and Music (text by Paul Celan), soprano, piano

PIANO: Naïve Music, 1954, revised 1993; Musica lontana, 1956, revised 1993; Intermezzo, 1956, revised 2000; Nocturne, 1957, revised 2000; Bagatelles, 1958, revised 2000; Sonatina, 1960, revised 1965; Five Pieces, 1961; Triada (13 pieces), 1961–62; Classical Sonata, 1963; Elegy, 1967; Sonata No. 1, 1972; Music in Olden Style, 1973; Music for Children, Books 1-2, 1973; Sonata No. 2, 1975; Kitsch-Musik (5 pieces), 1977; Sonata No. 3, 1979; Der Bote, 1996–97; Ustnaya Muzyka 1 – Verbal Music 1, 1998; Ustnaya Muzyka 2, 1999; Hymn 2001, 2001; Two Dialogues with Postface, 2001–02; 3 February 1857...in Memory of M.I.G., 2004

DISCOGRAPHY

String Quartet No. 1. Lysenko String Quartet (Melodiya: S 10-17117/18) (LP)

Symphony No. 5. Roman Kofman/Orchestra of the National Music Academy of Ukraine in Kyiv (Melodiya: S 10-27029) (LP)

Symphony No. 2 (excerpt). (Arts & Electronics, 1988)

Symphony No. 5; Stupeni; Elegy. Alexei Lubimov, piano; Arvo Volmer/Estonian State Symphony Orchestra (Col Legno: AU 31840, 1990)

Quartetto piccolo; String Quartet Nos. 1-2; Postludium (violin). Lysenko String Quartet (Etcetera: KTC 1151, 1993)