Valentin Silvestrov: A Composer’s Journey
By Ralph Graves
A new limited series launches on Charlottesville Classical!
Beginning Monday, Jan. 6 at 9 am, we present “Valentin Silvestrov: A Composer’s Journey.” Steve Robinson hosts this five-part series. It examines the life, times, and music of Valentin Silvestrov.
Silvestrov is Ukraine’s greatest and most revered living composers. Celebrating his Ukrainian heritage has always been at the heart of his music. Silvestrov was born in 1937 and wrote an impressive body of work over the past 80 years. His catalog includes symphonies, string quartets, choral works, solo piano music, and more.
Silvestrov’s career came to an abrupt end during the Soviet era. He refused to apologize for protesting the USSR’s 1974 invasion of Czechoslovakia. In 2022 Moscow once again disrupted his life when Russia invaded Ukraine. At the urging of friends and family, Silvestrov left his homeland for the safety of Germany. He now lives there in exile, age 88.
Each of the five programs concentrates on a different aspect of Silvestrov’s work.
- Overview: Excerpts and complete performances spanning Silvestrov’s catalog (airs Monday, Jan. 6 at 9 am and 6 pm)
- Choral and vocal compositions (airs Monday, Jan. 13 at 9 am and 6 pm)
- Solo piano music (airs Monday, Jan. 20 at 9 am and 6 pm)
- Symphonies (airs Monday, Jan. 27 at 9 am and 6 pm)
- Music composed since 2015, with a sampling of earlier works (airs Monday, Feb. 3 at 9 am and 6 pm)
The series also includes comments from Silvestrov’s friends, colleagues, and fellow musicians.
Valentin Silvestrov: A Composer’s Journey
Mondays, 9:00 am and 6:00 pm
Exclusively on CharlottesvilleClassical.org
