Lev Zhurbin (born August 18, 1978 in

Moscow Moscow ( , US chiefly ; rus, links=no, Москва, r=Moskva, p=mɐskˈva, a=Москва.ogg) is the capital and largest city of Russia. The city stands on the Moskva River in Central Russia, with a population estimated at 13.0 millio ...

, Soviet Union) is a composer and

violist ; german: Bratsche , alt=Viola shown from the front and the side , image=Bratsche.jpg , caption= , background=string , hornbostel_sachs=321.322-71 , hornbostel_sachs_desc=Composite chordophone sounded by a bow , range= , related= *Violin family ...

Biography

Lev Zhurbin immigrated to the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...

in the year 1990. He is often credited simply as "Ljova", the diminutive of his formal name. He is the son of the composer

Alexander Zhurbin Alexander Borisovich Zhurbin (Алекса́ндр Бори́сович Журби́н; born in Tashkent, Uzbekistan on 7 August 1945) is a Russian composer. Biography Alexander Borisovich Zhurbin was born in Tashkent. In 1963, he graduate ...

and the poet/lyricist/writer Irena Ginzburg. He is the author of over 70 original compositions for classical,

jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with its roots in blues and ragtime. Since the 1920s Jazz Age, it has been recognized as a m ...

, and folk music ensembles. He has also contributed musical scores to numerous documentaries, features, shorts and animated films. Zhurbin received commissions from the

Louisville Orchestra The Louisville Orchestra is the primary orchestra in Louisville, Kentucky. It was founded in 1937 by Robert Whitney (1904–1986) and Charles Farnsley, Mayor of Louisville. The Louisville Orchestra employs salaried musicians, and offers a wide ...

, the City of London Sinfonia, a string quartet for

Brooklyn Rider Brooklyn Rider is an American string quartet, based in Brooklyn, New York City, United States, whose members include violinists Johnny Gandelsman and Colin Jacobsen, violist Nicholas Cords and cellist Michael Nicolas. They are mainly known for ...

and a commission for

Yo-Yo Ma Yo-Yo Ma ('' Chinese'': 馬友友 ''Ma Yo Yo''; born October 7, 1955) is an American cellist. Born in Paris to Chinese parents and educated in New York City, he was a child prodigy, performing from the age of four and a half. He graduated from ...

and the

Silk Road Project Silkroad, formerly the Silk Road Project, Inc., is a not-for-profit organization, initiated by the cellist Yo-Yo Ma in 1998, promoting collaboration among artists and institutions, promoting multicultural artistic exchange, and studying the ebb and ...

; arrangements for the Los Angeles Philharmonic,

Brooklyn Philharmonic There have been several organisations referred to as the Brooklyn Philharmonic. The most recent one was the now-defunct Brooklyn Philharmonic Symphony Orchestra, an American orchestra based in the New York City borough of Brooklyn, in existence fr ...

, tenor

Javier Camarena Javier Camarena (born March 26, 1976) is a Mexican operatic tenor. Camarena was born in Xalapa, Veracruz. His father was a nuclear plant technician. He specializes in roles from the bel canto era of Rossini, Bellini and Donizetti operas such ...

, conductor Alondra de la Parra, songwriters

Natalia Lafourcade María Natalia Lafourcade Silva (; born 26 February 1984) is a Mexican pop-rock and folk singer and songwriter who, since her debut in 2002, has been one of the most successful singers in Latin America. Lafourcade's voice has been categorized a ...

and

Ricky Martin Enrique Martín Morales (born December 24, 1971), known professionally as Ricky Martin, is a Puerto Rican singer, songwriter, and actor. He is known for his musical versatility, with his Ricky Martin albums discography, discography spanning ...

, composer/guitarist

Gustavo Santaolalla Gustavo Alfredo Santaolalla (born 19 August 1951) is an Argentine musician, composer, and record producer. He is known for composing his film scores with his collaborator and acclaimed director Alejandro González Iñárritu, which composed the ...

The Knights ''The Knights'' ( grc, Ἱππεῖς ''Hippeîs''; Attic: ) was the fourth play written by Aristophanes, who is considered the master of an ancient form of drama known as Old Comedy. The play is a satire on the social and political life of cla ...

, and collaborations with choreographers Aszure Barton, Damian Woetzel, Christopher Wheeldon,

Katarzyna Skarpetowska Katarzyna Skarpetowska is a dancer and choreographer of Polish descent. She danced with the Lar Lubovitch Dance Company from 2007 - 2014, and Parsons Dance Company. from 1999-2006. Her choreography, often set on the Parsons company, is noted for p ...

(with

Parsons Dance Company Parsons Dance is a contemporary dance company founded by choreographer David Parsons. The company tours nationally and internationally, and includes an annual season in New York. Based in New York City, Parsons Dance was founded on July 17, 1985, ...

), and Eduardo Vilaro (with Ballet Hispanico). He is presently on the faculty of the Atelier program at

Princeton University Princeton University is a private research university in Princeton, New Jersey. Founded in 1746 in Elizabeth as the College of New Jersey, Princeton is the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the United States and one of the ...

Ljova released his debut solo CD, Vjola: World on Four Strings, in July 2006 on his own label, Kapustnik Records. "Mnemosyne", the debut album of his ensemble, Ljova and the Kontraband, featured

Frank London Frank London (born 1958 in New York) is an American klezmer trumpeter who also plays jazz and world music. Early life London was born to a Reform Jewish family and grew up in New York and Connecticut. He started playing the trumpet in fourt ...

, William Schimmel and other special guests. His third album, "Lost in Kino", focuses on his film music, featuring Ljova's cues from collaborations with films by Francis Ford Coppola, James Marsh, Robin Hessman, Josef Astor,

Lev Polyakov Lev may refer to: Common uses *Bulgarian lev, the currency of Bulgaria *an abbreviation for Leviticus, the third book of the Hebrew Bible and the Torah People and fictional characters *Lev (given name) *Lev (surname) Places *Lev, Azerbaijan, a ...

, Roman Khrushch, Sean Gannet and Basia Winograd. In 2012, Ljova released his fourth album, "Melting River", featuring music created for a dance piece by choreographer Aszure Barton. It was initially released as a download-exclusive on

Bandcamp Bandcamp is an American online audio distribution platform founded in 2007 by Oddpost co-founder Ethan Diamond and programmers Shawn Grunberger, Joe Holt and Neal Tucker, with headquarters in Oakland, California, US. On March 2, 2022, Bandcamp ...

, but has since been issued on limited edition vinyl with bonus tracks. 2014 saw the release of "No Refund on Flowers", the second album by Ljova and the Kontraband, crowdfunded through a 34-second campaign on Kickstarter. 2015 and 2016 saw the releases of soundtrack albums to Ljova's scores for "Finding Babel" and "Datuna: Portrait of America". 2017 saw the release of "Footwork", dedicated to Ljova's collaborations with

and Ballet Hispanico. In 2019, he released his tenth album, "SoLò Ópus", focusing on music for the fadolín and looper effects. During 2020-2021 pandemic, he has released a number of works for the solo fadolín through his website and social media channels. Ljova is married to Inna Barmash, an attorney and musician.

Selected Compositions

Orchestral and Soloists *2019 ''Cellostatus'' *2017 "Pulse" *2016 ''Current'' *2016 ''Elegy'' *2015 ''Throw The Book'' Vocal Chamber Music *2013 ''The First Rite'' *2010 ''Niña Dance'' *2005 ''By the Campfire'' Instrumental Chamber Music *2018 Meditation on

Kol Nidre Kol Nidre (also known as Kol Nidrey or Kol Nidrei; Aramaic: ''kāl niḏrē'') is a Hebrew and Aramaic declaration which is recited in the synagogue before the beginning of the evening service on every Yom Kippur ("Day of Atonement"). Strictly ...

i *2017 Clarinet Quintet: ''The Refugee'' *2016 ''Rockaway Baby'' *2015 ''An Appalachian Wind'' *2014 ''Gi-gue-ly'' *2013 ''Lullaby & Memory'' *2013 ''Click'' *2012 String Quartet: ''Culai'' *2011 ''Everywhere is Falling Everywhere'' *2005-2008 ''The Vjola Suite'' *2000 ''Sicilienne'' Music for Solo Instruments *2020 ''Voices'' (for piano and historical recordings), an expansion of ''Sirota'' *2012 ''Greenway'' (for violin) *2011 ''Sirota'' (for piano and cantorial recording) Music for Dance *2017 ''Do You Like Me Now?'' *2016 ''Atlas Kid'' (co-composed with Mikael Karlsson) *2015 ''Almah'' *2014 ''Emin'' *2013 ''Hogar'' *2013 ''Budget Bulgar (Memphis Hora)'' *2012 ''Awáa'' (co-composed with Curtis Macdonald) *2009 ''Tales of Offenbach'' *2009 ''Busk'' *2004 ''White''

Filmography

Feature Film Scores *2020 ''Alberto and the Concrete Jungle'' *2009 ''Black Lamb'' *2006 ''Mother'' *2003 ''Daddy'' *1999 ''Serpent's Breath'' Documentary Film Scores *2019 ''Big Lies'' *2015 ''Finding Babel'' *2015 ''Datuna: Portrait of America'' *2011 ''Lost Bohemia'' *2010 ''

My Perestroika ''My Perestroika'' is a 2010 American documentary film directed by Robin Hessman. It examines life during and after the USSR through the personal stories of five ordinary Russians, who speak about their Soviet childhood, the collapse of the USSR, ...

'' *2009 ''Alienadas'' *2007 ''Three Soldiers'' *2005 ''The Team'' Short Film Scores *2017 ''Do You Like Me Now?'' *2016 ''How You Look At It'' *2015 ''Grace'' *2014 ''America 1979'' *2014 ''6-Minute Mom'' *2013 ''Penny Dreadful'' *2012 ''The Visitors'' *2012 ''For The Love of Nothing'' *2011 ''Fantastic Plastic'' *2010 ''Dottie's Thanksgiving Pickle'' *2009 ''American Hero'' *2009 ''Spleen'' *2009 ''The Heart of Battle'' *2009 ''The One That I Want'' *2008 ''Only Love'' *2008 ''Cupcake'' *2008 ''New People in Six Days'' *2007 ''Transience'' *2007 ''Dear Lemon Lima'' *2005 ''Dinner at Marvin's'' *2003 ''The Playground'' *2003 ''Red Wagon'' *2003 ''Gardening Tips for Housewives''

Discography

* Vjola: World on Four Strings, 2006 Kapustnik Records * "Mnemosyne", featuring

and William Schimmel * "Lost in Kino", (film music) * "Melting River" 2012 * "No Refund on Flowers" 2014 * "Finding Babel" 2015 * " Datuna: Portrait of America" 2016 * "Footwork" 2017 *"SoLò Ópus" 2019 * "Enter The Fadolín" 2022 * "Lost in Kino 2" 2022

References

Sources

Ljova Catalogue of Works

Ljova Discography

External links

Ljova's Official WebsiteLjova and the Kontraband
Ljova's performing ensemble.
Ljova and the Kontraband on NPR Tiny Desk ConcertLjova's releases on BandcampLjova's releases on Soundcloud
* ttps://www.npr.org/artists/97041306/lev-ljova-zhurbinZhurbin on

NPR National Public Radio (NPR, stylized in all lowercase) is an American privately and state funded nonprofit media organization headquartered in Washington, D.C., with its NPR West headquarters in Culver City, California. It differs from other ...

Zhurbin on

WFMU WFMU is a listener-supported, independent community radio station, licensed to East Orange, New Jersey. Since 1998 its studios and operating facilities have been headquartered in Jersey City, New Jersey. It broadcasts locally at 91.1 Mhz FM, i ...

Inna Barmash, Ljova Zhurbin
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Zhurbin, Lev 1978 births 21st-century classical composers American classical violists American people of Russian descent Living people Russian Jews 21st-century American musicians 21st-century violists