composer
Galina Grigorjeva

Eesti Raadio | Klassikaraadio | Musicians

 

 

 

 Biography


“Galina Grigorjeva belongs to the generation of composers whose worldview and work evince substantial religious overtones.”

 

Galina Grigorjeva

b. Dec. 2,1962,
Simferopol, the Ukraine

composer

Grigorjeva studied at Simferopol Music School and at Odessa Conservatory (under Prof. Alexander Krasotov). She graduated from St.Petersburg Conservatory in the composition class of Yuri Falik in 1991. In 1992 she moved to Tallinn where she continued with postgraduate studies at the Estonian Academy of Music as a student of Prof. Lepo Sumera. Now she works as a freelance composer.
Grigorjeva’s relatively small-numbered production has caught interest with its spirited and subtle sound texture. Her music stems from melodic thought. Grigorjeva’s composition reveals tight links with the Slavic tradition of liturgical music as well as with the early European polyphony. She has a brilliant skill to “orchestrate” choral polyphony, creating meaningful and fair ripples of concord. The breathing rhetoric of her music is similar to that of Arvo Pärt’s, yet it expresses a original perception of harmony.
Grigorjeva’s works have been perfomed by an early music consort Hortus Musicus (artistic dir. Andres Mustonen), the Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir (cond. Paul Hillier), the Moscow Chamber Orchestra (cond. Constatine Orbelian), chamber orchestra Kremerata Baltica (artistic dir. Gidon Kremer), the Moscow Patriarchy Choir (cond. Anatoly Grindenko), mixed choir Latvija, percussion ensemble Kroumata, recorder player Conrad Steinmann, clarinetist Michel Lethiec et al.

In addition to numerous perfomances at Estonian music festivals (contemporary music festival NYYD, the David Oistrakh Festival) her works have been perfomed also at festivals in other countries: Two Days and Two Nigths (Ukraine, 2001 and 2003), From Avant-Garde to the Present Day (St. Petersburg, 1996), December Nights (Moscow, 2002), Dedication to Oleg Kagan (Moscow and Kreuth), Music Festival in Naantali (Finland), Lockenhaus Music Festival (Austria 2003), Festival Pablo Casals in Prad (France, 2004).

Grigorjeva’s works have been recorded by Eesti Raadio (The Estonian Radio), BBC Radio 3, Harmonia Mundi. The Estonian Radio has twice chosed her work to represent Estonia at The International Rostrum of Composers: On Leaving in 2000, in Amsterdam, and Lament in 2002, in Paris.
Grigorjeva has Received the Heino Eller Music Award (2003) and Estonian Culture Capital Award (2004)

Selected works:

  • Sviatki, Concert for mixed choir a cappella (lyrics from Russian folklore, 1997-2004)
  • Polyphonie for pf. (1998)
  • Seven Christmas Carols, song cycle for children for voice and pf.( 1998)
  • On leaving for mixed choir(from Orthodox Canon) (1999)
  • Lament for alto flute. (2000)
  • Con misterio for chamber ensemble, soloist and percussion (lyrics from Russian Poetrys 2001)
  • Quasi niente for flute and percussion (2001)
  • A Song on the Occaion of Tsarina Yevdokia Taking the Veil for string orchestra (2002)
  • Concertino for alto saxophone and the orchestra (1992-2003)
  • Composition for solo clarinet (2003)
  • Recitativo accompagnata for vocal solo (2003)
  • Hoquet for percussion solo (2004)
  • There is a Time for Autumn for percussion ensemble (2004)
  • Infinity Canon for string quartet (2006)