Lev Zhurbin
Lev 'Ljova' Zhurbin | |
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Lev 'Ljova' Zhurbin performing in Moscow, 2005 | |
Background information | |
Birth name | Lev Aleksandrovich Zhurbin (Лев Александрович Журбин) |
Also known as | Ljova |
Born | August 18, 1978 |
Origin | Moscow, Russia |
Genres | Classical, folk, chamber jazz, Film Music, Gypsy, World |
Occupation(s) | Musician, arranger, film composer, producer |
Instruments | Viola, famiola, fadolin |
Years active | 1990–present |
Labels |
Kapustnik, Sony Classical Deutsche Grammophon, Nonesuch Records, Fat Cat |
Associated acts | Ljova and the Kontraband, Romashka, Yo-Yo Ma, Kronos Quartet, Osvaldo Golijov, Jay-Z, Bond, Nina Nastasia, Dawn Upshaw, Alondra de la Parra, Brooklyn Rider, Kayhan Kalhor, Guy Sigsworth, Mary Wilson, Alan Pierson, Brooklyn Philharmonic |
Lev 'Ljova' Zhurbin (born August 18, 1978 in Moscow, Russia) is a composer, violist, and arranger. Ljova is the author of over 70 original compositions for classical, jazz, and folk music ensembles. He has also contributed musical scores to numerous short and feature films. Among recent projects is a commission from the City of London Sinfonia, a string quartet for Brooklyn Rider and a commission for Yo-Yo Ma and the Silk Road Project; arrangements for the Brooklyn Philharmonic, tenor Javier Camarena, conductor Alondra de la Parra, the Mexican songwriter Natalia Lafourcade, composer/guitarist Gustavo Santaolalla, The Knights, and collaborations with choreographers Aszure Barton, Damian Woetzel, Christopher Wheeldon and Eduardo Vilaro (with Ballet Hispanico).
Ljova immigrated to the United States and has lived on the Upper West Side of New York City since 1990. He is the son of one of Russia's foremost composers, Alexander Zhurbin, and the poet/lyricist/writer Irena Ginzburg.
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, 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, 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, but has since been issued on limited edition vinyl with bonus tracks.
His latest release is "No Refund on Flowers", the second album by Ljova and the Kontraband, crowdfunded through a 34-second campaign on Kickstarter.
Ljova is married to Inna Barmash, an attorney and musician. They have two sons, Benjamin (born 2009) and Yosif (born 2011).
Discography
as leader (composer / performer / arranger):
- 2016 - "Datuna: Portrait of America" official soundtrack (Kapustnik Records)
- 2015 - "Finding Babel" official soundtrack (Kapustnik Records)
- 2014 - "No Refund on Flowers" with Ljova and the Kontraband (Kapustnik Records)
- 2012 - "Melting River" (Kapustnik Records) - issued as a download in 2012, vinyl with bonus tracks, 2014
- 2011 – "Lost in Kino" with Romashka, Wu Man, Tall Tall Trees, Kálmán Balogh and others (Kapustnik Records)
- 2008 – "Mnemosyne" with Ljova and the Kontraband, guests Frank London, Uli Geissendoerfer, William Schimmel, Alon Yavnai and Marcus Rojas (Kapustnik Records)
- 2006 – "Vjola: World on Four Strings" (Kapustnik Records) - reissued in 2011.
as composer:
- 2013 - Brooklyn Rider: "A Walking Fire" (Mercury Classics) - includes "Culai" and "Budget Bulgar"
- 2012 - Spark: "Folk Tunes" (Deutsche Grammophon) - includes "Budget Bulgar" and "Old Lautar"
- 2011 - Tim Fain and Pei-Yao Wang: "River of Light" (Naxos) - includes "Sicilienne"
- 2011 - Julia Kogan: "Troika" (Rideau Rouge Records) - includes "The Rain has Flown"
- 2011 - Keve Wilson: "Pure Imagination" (Composers Concordance Recordings / Naxos) - includes "Plume"
- 2010 - Spark: "Downtown Illusions" (ARS Produktion) - includes "Tango Heavy"
- 2009 - The Knights & Jan Vogler: "Experience: Live from New York" (Sony Classical) - includes "Garmoshka"
- 2008 - Brooklyn Rider: "Passport" (In a Circle Records) - includes "Plume" and "Crosstown"
- 2003 - Soheil Nasseri: "Soheil Nasseri plays Yedidia, Zhurbin & Zyman" (21st Century Classical) - includes "Sicilienne"
as arranger:
- 2014 - Kronos Quartet: "A Thousand Thoughts" (Nonesuch) - transcription of "A Thousand Thoughts"
- 2011 - Alondra de la Parra, Natalia Lafourcade, Ely Guerra Denise Gutiérrez: "Travieso Carmesí" (Sony Classical) -- all arrangements
- 2010 - Alondra de la Parra: "Mi Alma Mexicana" (Sony Classical) - arrangement of "Sobre las Olas"
- 2009 - Osvaldo Golijov: "Tetro" (Sony Classical) - arrangements
- 2009 - The Knights and Jan Vogler: "Experience: Live from New York" (Sony Classical) - all arrangements, except Hendrix
- 2009 - Kronos Quartet: "Floodplain" (Nonesuch) - arrangement of "Oh Mother, the Handsome Man Tortures Me"
- 2008 - Brooklyn Rider and Kayhan Kalhor: "Silent City" (World Village) - arrangements of "Silent City" and "Parvaz"
- 2008 - Jan Vogler and friends: "Tango" (Sony Classical) - arrangement of "Libertango" by Astor Piazzolla
- 2009 - Osvaldo Golijov: "Youth Without Youth" (Sony Classical) - arrangements
- 2007 - Yo-Yo Ma & Silk Road Ensemble: "New Impossibilities" (Sony Classical) - arrangements of music by Kayhan Kalhor & Rabih Abou-Khalil
- 2006 - Matmos: The Rose Has Teeth in the Mouth of a Beast (Matador Records) - arrangement of "Solo Buttons for Joe Meek" with Kronos Quartet
- 2005 - Yo-Yo Ma & Silk Road Ensemble: "Silk Road Journeys: Beyond the Horizon" (Sony Classical) - arrangements of music by Kayhan Kalhor & Sandeep Das
- 2005 - Kronos Quartet & Asha Bhosle: You've Stolen My Heart: Songs from R.D. Burman's Bollywood (Nonesuch) - transcriptions from original sources
as violist:
- 2015 – Petros Klampanis: "Minor Dispute” (Inner Circle Music)
- 2015 – Lara Traum: Crypto Jewish Melodies: Semitic Sounds of Russian Extraction (Independent)
- 2014 – Zing Along Ensemble: "Zing Along Shabes" (Independent)
- 2014 – Banda Magda: “Yerakina” (GroundUP / Ropeadope)
- 2014 – Guy Barash: “Facts about Water” (Innova)
- 2013 – Inna Barmash: “Yiddish Lullabies & Love Songs” (Independent)
- 2013 – Jean Rohe: “Jean Rohe & The End of the World Show” (Laundry Line Records)
- 2013 - Emika: "Dva" (Ninja Tune)
- 2013 - Magda Giannikou / Banda Magda "amour t'es là?" (Edizioni Musicali Magdalini)
- 2013 - Fall on Your Sword: "We Steal Secrets: The Story of WikiLeaks" (Backlot Records / Universal)
- 2012 - Fernando Otero: "Romance" (Soundbrush Records)
- 2012 - Ryan Rumery: "Beyond the Horizon" (Independent)
- 2012 - Fall on Your Sword: "Nobody Walks" (Lakeshore Records)
- 2012 - Ryan Rumery: "Ivanov" (Independent)
- 2012 - Sofia Ribeiro: "Ar" (independent)
- 2011 - Marta Topferova: "The Other Shore" (World Village)
- 2011 - Petros Klampanis: "Contextual" (Inner Circle Music)
- 2011 - Fall on Your Sword: "Another Earth" (Lakeshore Records)
- 2010 - Nina Nastasia: "Outlaster" (Fatcat)
- 2010 - The Knights: "New Worlds" (Sony Classical)
- 2010 - Amy Correia: "You Go Your Way" (Junketboy)
- 2009 - The Knights and Jan Vogler: "Experience: Live from New York" (Sony Classical)
- 2009 - Ronen Landa: "Picturebooks" (Love the Duck)
- 2007 - La Mar Enfortuna - "Conviviencia" (Tzadik)
- 2006 - Marta Topferova: "Flor Nocturna" (World Village)
- 2006 - Assif Tsahar & KJLA Quartet: "Solitude" (Hopscotch Records)
- 2005 - Golijov / Berio: "Ayre" (Deutsche Grammophon)
- 2005 - Angus Martin: "Presqu'ile" (Soluna)
- 2005 - Yo-Yo Ma & Silk Road Ensemble: "Silk Road Journeys: Beyond the Horizon" (Sony Classical)
- 2003 - Heavenly Lullabies "Heavenly Lullabies" (independent)
- 2002 - Assif Tsahar: "Fragments" (Hopscotch Records)
- 2001 - Orchestra of S.E.M. Ensemble / Petr Kotik: "Morton Feldman: The Turfan Fragments" (Dog w/a Bone)
- 2001 - George Davidson: "Allure" (GDP)
- 2001 - George Davidson: "With Love" (GDP)
- 2001 - George Davidson / Eugenio Leon: "Twin Strings II" (GDP)
References
External links
- Ljova's Official Website
- Ljova and the Kontraband, Ljova's performing ensemble.
- He Still Plays Weddings - A Musical Polymath’s Quirky Career, Ljova's profile in the New York Times
- Review of Ljova's debut solo CD in New York Times
- Lev Zhurbin at the Internet Movie Database
- Ljova's page on CCMixter, where you can download raw files of Ljova's performances for remixing.
- Ljova's father, Alexander Zhurbin
- The Kronos Quartet
- The Silk Road Project
- Inna Barmash, Ljova Zhurbin
- Interview with Lev "Ljova" Zhurbin
- Free scores by Lev Zhurbin at the International Music Score Library Project
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