LATVIA— on September 8 at At 19.00, the concert hall “Latvija” will be visited by pianist and composer Vadims Neselovskis, highly regarded in the world of music, who will present the concert program “Odesa. A musical walk through the legendary city” will be played on the 470i piano created by Dāvids Kļaviņas.
The talented artist is called the most promising young improviser and genius who freely plays with the diversity of musical forms. American jazz vibraphonist, composer and educator Gary Burton speaks clearly about Vadim: “I don’t think I’ve ever met an improviser with so many surprises in his arsenal… a true Genius.”
Vadim Neselovskyi was born in Odessa in 1977, when Ukraine was part of the Soviet Union. The Soviet Union collapsed in 1991, when the boy was 14 years old. The musical prodigy is the youngest student ever to enter the Odessa Conservatory (now the Odessa National Academy of Music) – Vadim was only 15 years old then. Initially, Neselovski was fascinated by the world of classical music, but soon he turned to jazz music. In 2019, Neselovsky’s new manager mentioned that the pianist should find a way to tell the story of Odesa through music, because there is no one who can do it better than him. This idea seemed tempting to the composer, and Neselovskis began to consider the best solutions and methods of telling this story to the audience. It was important for Neselovski that the music creates an atmosphere that makes the listeners fully feel what he experienced in Odessa. In creating his concert program, the pianist was inspired by Modest Mussorgsky’s piano suite “Pictures at an Exhibition”. He decided that he should take the listeners through Odessa as he himself sees and feels it – from the history he has learned, from his own memories and experiences, from his dreams about the city. The concert program takes you to places characteristic of the city, such as Odessa Central Railway Station, Potemkin Stairs, Odessa Conservatory, etc. and fully depicts the life of this city.
Neselovsky’s father, who was a true Odessan with characteristic behavior, confidence and sense of humor, gave Neselovski the assurance that the idea was being implemented correctly. After listening to the final version of his son’s recording, he gave it his approval. It was shortly before he passed away.
Young Vadim moved to Germany after living in Odessa, but then he continued his dizzying journey in the world of jazz music in America. Vadim’s mentor, the legendary vibraphonist Gary Barton, became one of the biggest supporters of Neselovsky’s original compositions. It was on his initiative that the composer’s compositions were recorded and performed together with such professionals as guitarist Julian Lage and percussionist Antonio Sanchez, etc. Recently, he also focused on getting to know his Jewish roots – in collaboration with saxophonist and composer John Zorn, he recorded a duet with the American pianist Craig Taborn in the recording studio “Tzadik label”. Neselovskis has always maintained his connection with his homeland, performing regularly in Ukraine. Since the Russian invasion, it was important for the pianist to draw public attention to the tragedy taking place in his homeland. Also the concert program “Odesa. The performance of “Musical walk through the legendary city” in the concert hall “Latvija” reminds us of the priceless beauty of Ukraine and its cultural heritage, in contrast to the prolonged and destructive invasion of the Russian troops in Ukraine.
The event is organized by SIA “Kurzemes filharmonija”, financed by the European Regional Development Fund and the municipality of Ventspils. Tickets can be purchased in the ticket sales network “Biļešu paradīze”, as well as at the box office of the “Latvija” concert hall.
