American Pianist Vadim Neselovskyi Announces New Solo Recording 'ODESA'

The world at large has been inundated with news from the recent 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.

Neselovskyi was born in Odesa in 1977 during the Brezhnev years (commonly referred to as the "Period of Stagnation"). He was still a child when Gorbachev came to power in 1985 and was just 14 years old when the Soviet Union collapsed in 1991. Neselovskyi was a child musical prodigy who became the youngest person accepted in the Odesa Conservatory. Though he began in the classical world, Neselovskyi became infatuated with jazz music via sailors passing along recordings. He would soon move on to Germany and further to Berklee College of Music in Boston to continue his studies.

Over the years, Neselovskyi continued his ascendancy in the jazz world, performing alongside his mentor Gary Burton during the vibist's last decade as a recording artist. Burton also became one of the main supporters of Neselovskyi as a composer, recording and performing Neselovskyi's compositions together with Julian Lage and Antonio Sanchez.

Neselovskyi also released a number of albums as a leader and as a partner with French horn and Alphorn master Arkady Shilkloper. Neselovskyi recently began to explore his Jewish musical roots in collaboration with John Zorn on the eclectic composer's own Tzadik label, recording a duo with Craig Taborn.

Though he regularly returned to Ukraine to perform, Neselovskyi began to be increasingly involved in the plight that Russia inflicted on his country. At the height of the Crimean conflict in 2014, the pianist led his trio at the Lviv Jazz Festival bringing tears to an audience affected by the recent news of a downed Ukrainian aircraft. In 2015, Neselovskyi performed at Berklee's Concert for Ukraine.

The pianist's musical prowess grew at the same rate as his political involvement. Neselovskyi's solo piano style began to evolve further after he was able to experience his first commission as an orchestral composer, an adaption of his "Spring Song" for the Lancaster Music Festival. For his solo piano work, he began to utilize the same writing tools that he used for his orchestral work, namely the use of computer-based notation and sequencing programs, then filtering the pieces until he could play them using just his two hands on the piano keyboard. This allowed for an expansive and highly orchestrated approach to solo compositions, pushing beyond the limits of ordinary conventional piano textures.

In 2019, it was suggested to Neselovskyi by his new agent that he tell the story of the city of Odesa through music, as there wasn't another musician who could do it better. The enticing idea kept Neselovskyi awake at night, as he began to formulate the best method to approach the task.

Neselovskyi began to envision the project like a theater piece, allowing for the audience to have full immersion in the work. He wanted the music to create an atmosphere that put listeners into his experience of his beloved home. Neselovskyi knew he was on the right track when he received the approval of his father, a living embodiment of Odesite demeanor and humor, as he listened to a finished piece just prior to his passing in 2019.

Photo: Yaroslavna Chernova

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