Evgeni Orkin (, born 2 October 1977) is a Ukrainian composer, clarinetist, saxophonist, conductor and author, who is based in Germany.
Life and career
Born in Lviv, then in the Ukrainian SSR, Orkin studied first at the Ukrainian National Tchaikovsky Academy of Music, clarinet with I. Pendischuk and composition with Yevhen Stankovych. He studied further in Utrecht and at the Musikhochschule Mannheim, clarinet with Herman Braune and , conducting with Melvin Margolis and composition with Ulrich Leyendecker and .
Orkin played as principal clarinet in the ensemble of the Kyiv Camerata from 1992 to 1999. He was a co-founder of the project Open-Lift for contemporary music in Utrecht and co-founder, clarinetist and saxophonist of the ensemble Komponistenverschwörung,. a member of the ensemble TEMA in Karlsruhe, and a co-founder and player of the Dorado Quintet.
He has played in world premieres, in works by composers such as , Nuno Corte-Real, , , Valentin Silvestrov, Yevhen Stankovych and Martin Wistinghausen.
Orkin composed ten chamber symphonies, seven symphonies, concertos, among others, for violin, piano, saxophone and clarinet, an opera Magister Ludi after Hermann Hesse, several works of musical theatre, and chamber music. His works were performed at international festivals, including Vienna Festival, Young Euro Classic, , Lucerne Festival, âÂÂUn Week-end àlâÂÂEstâ in Paris, Kontrasty in Lviv, the Kyiv Music Fest, a festival of new music in Odesa, Heidelberger Frühling, , ZeitGenuss in Karlsruhe, Menuhin Festival Gstaad, Wachenheimer Serenaden, and LvivMozArt. His works are published by Universal Edition, Accolade, Konsid und Are Musikverlag.
His chamber opera Das Märchen der Waldkönigin Ach sets a Ukrainian fairy tale; it was premiered at the small Wartburg stage of the Staatstheater Wiesbaden in October 2023. His Odessa Rhapsody was awarded the European Music Prize from the mayor of Berlin in 2023. It was premiered in Paris, and he received the prize when the German premiere was played at the Konzerthaus Berlin as part of Young Euro Classic by the Youth Symphony Orchestra of Ukraine conducted by Oksana Lyniv to whom he had dedicated the work.
In 2010 he founded the label OML. He published an educational book about playing historic clarinets in 2017, Methodische Einführung in das Erlernen und die Anwendung der historischen Klarinette, translated in German, English and Ukrainian.
Orkin lectures at the Hochschule für Musik und Darstellende Kunst Mannheim.
Awards
- 1999: Prize from the President of Ukraine (for his First Symphony "Parade of the Planets")
- 2001: Scholarship from Lions Club Mannheim (for Jüdische Suite for clarinet)
- 2004: First prize of the second Festival of the Jewish World Congress in composition
- 2005: First prize of the competition by the Goethe Institute Mannheim, "Schiller vs Goethe" for the best setting of a text by Schiller
- European Composition Prize 2023 for "Odesa Rhapsody" for two violins and orchestra
Works
- op. 1: Sonatine for clarinet
- op. 2: Quintet for draughts
- op. 3: Gamayoune
- op. 4: Chamber symphony No. 1 âÂÂThe HarboursâÂÂ
- op. 5: Variations for piano
- op. 6: Partita da Piazzolla (Versions for solo violine, clarinet, 2 violins, viola, cello and double-bass as well for clarinet, violin, cello and piano)
- op. 7: The Mirror (chamber concerto for piano and strings)
- op. 8: Talisman (Poem for soprano and strings on a poem by Alexander Pushkin)
- op. 9: Symphony/Ballet No. 1 âÂÂParade of the Planetsâ for orchestra
- op. 10: Jewish Suite for solo clarinet
- op. 11: Suite for string orchestra
- op. 12: Rhapsody for solo oboe
- op. 13: Chamber symphony No. 2 for cello und strings
- op. 14: Mosaiks (Versions for solo piano und for piano four hands)
- op. 15: Violin concerto
- op. 16: Chamber symphony No. 3 (Double Concerto for violin und cello with strings, percussion, celesta and harpsichord)
- op. 17: Konzertstueck for piano with orchestra
- op. 18: The Rain Songs for soprano, clarinet and piano
- op. 19: Four Songs on Ossip Mandelstam (versions for sopran and guitar and for sopran and strings)
- op. 20: String quartet No. 1
- op. 21: Die Schatten (Suite for clarinet and guitar)
- op. 22: Sinfonia brevis No. 1
- op. 23: Symphony No. 2
- op. 24: Sonatina for piano
- op. 25: Quartet for clarinet, violin, cello and piano
- op. 26: Wohin segelt das Schiff? (two poems by Friedrich Schiller) for voice and piano
- op. 27: Cogito ergo sum (Singspiel after Friedrich SchillerâÂÂs Xenien from the âÂÂMusen-Almanach für das Jahr 1797âÂÂ)
- op. 28: Three Musicians (Hommage to Pablo Picasso) for flute, bassoon and piano
- op. 29: Symphoniy No. 3 âÂÂThe Master and Margaritaâ (free after Mikhail Bulgakov)
- op. 30: Chamber symphony No. 4
- op. 31: Four Miniatures for french horn and piano
- op. 32: Six Bagatelles for violin, cello and piano
- op. 33: Un Ange qui ... for clarinet and organ
- op. 34: Los Caprichos for bassoon/contrabassoon and piano
- op. 35: Chamber symphony No. 5 âÂÂLe Capriceâ for strings
- op. 36: Las Meninas for flute and piano
- op. 37: Eine kleine Hochzeitskantate
- op. 38: Three Graphics for violin and piano
- op. 39: Concerto for soprano saxophone and orchestra
- op. 40: Graphomania 2 for orchestra
- op. 41: Chamber symphony No. 6 âÂÂWinterschlafâ for mezzo-soprano, choir and chamber orchestra
- op. 42: Wizzard (versions for clarinet and piano and for clarinet and sound sample)
- op. 43: Clarinet quintet for clarinet and string quartet
- op. 44: Meditation for clarinet and sound sample
- op. 45: Chamber symphony No. 7 for female voice and chamber orchestra
- op. 46: Escher-Etudes for three grand pianos in room
- op. 47: Lullaby for mezzo-soprano, clarinet, violin and piano
- op. 48: Missa Homoptera for clarinet and sound sample
- op. 49: Ganz im Sinne des Tangos ... for saxophone quartet
- op. 50: Klanjobox Antique for clarinet, bastard banjo and live electronics
- op. 51: Hommages àCarl Nielsen, Jean Françaix, Olivier Messiaen, Igor Strawinsky, George Gershwin, Benny Goodman, Astor Piazzolla for solo clarinet (Nos. 1âÂÂ6) or rather for five clarinets (No. 7)
- op. 52: Vosaduli for brass quintet
- op. 53: Symphony No. 4 âÂÂHaikuâ for orchestra
- op. 54: Martini Blue for voice, alto-saxophone, trombone, banjo, bass guitar, piano and live electronics
- op. 55: Chamber symphony No. 8 âÂÂWindroseâ for oboe, clarinet, bassoon, french horn, percussion and strings
- op. 56: Concerto dâÂÂoro (versions for alto-saxophone with big band and for alto-saxophone with concert band)
- op. 57: Die Neun Musen for solo violin
- op. 58: Symphony No. 5 âÂÂJewishâ for orchestra
- op. 59: Tandem-Toccata for two violins
- op. 60: Two Pieces for shakuhachi and piano
- op. 61: Quintet for two violins, viola, cello and piano
- op. 62: Magister Ludi (Opera in six acts after Hermann Hesse)
- op. 63: Speaking choir A âÂÂKalaschnikow ist totâÂÂ
- op. 64: Profundus for bass clarinet and sound sample
- op. 65: Chamber symphony No. 9 âÂÂOlimpiaâ for two alto-saxophones, flute, violin, cello, percussion and piano
- op. 66: Symphony No. 6 âÂÂMaidanâÂÂ
- op. 67: Songs after poems by Franz Kafka for voice and piano
- op. 68: âÂÂDer Schummeltrompeterâ free on motives from Struwwelpeter for narrator and small ensemble
- op. 69: Adagio for clarinet (also for soprano-saxophone and wind controller) and orchestra
- op. 70: âÂÂOdemâ (version for two solo violas and strings)
- op. 71: Chamber symphony No. 10 âÂÂSprich mit mirâ for voice, violin and chamber orchestra
- op. 72: b.) âÂÂEchoâ for clarinet, sound sample and two narrators
- op. 73: âÂÂIn Wiederkehr der Maskenâ (versions for clarinet and chamber orchestra, for clarinet and wind orchestra)
- op. 74: âÂÂUnd wie der Pan gähnt...â for overtone singer and small ensemble
- op. 75: âÂÂAnnes Passionâ Oratorium for narrator, soloists, choir and orchestra after texts by Anne Frank
- op. 76: Theobald Lieder for voice and piano
- op. 77: âÂÂ3 Mahngesängeâ for clarinet and strings
- op. 78: âÂÂ3 Valsesâ for orchestra
- op. 79: Violin concerto No. 2
- op. 80: String quartet No. 2
- op. 81: âÂÂHalytska overtureâ for orchestra
- op. 82: âÂÂMizmorâ for klezmer band, cantor and string orchestra
- op. 83: âÂÂOdesa Rhapsodyâ for two violins and orchestra
- op. 84: âÂÂNachtgebetâ for orchestra
- op. 85: âÂÂTatusewa Knyhaâ cantata for narrator, soloists, children choir and orchestra
- op. 86: âÂÂRechtzeitigâ for chamber ensemble
- op. 87: Grand Trio Concertant for clarinet, violin and piano
- op. 88: âÂÂTodesfugeâ for violin, narrator and orchestra
- op. 89: Symphony No. 7 âÂÂDas hohe SchlossâÂÂ
- op. 90: âÂÂRequiem for a Poetâ for bariton, sampler and orchestra
- op. 91: âÂÂElegyâ for orchestra
- op. 92: âÂÂFünf unterbrochene Wiegenliederâ for orchestra
- op. 93: âÂÂOdradekâ concerto for viola and string orchestra
- op. 94: âÂÂMendele-Lohengrinâ clezmer singspiel for narrator, soprano and chamber orchestra
- op. 95: âÂÂRadetzkymarschâ for clarinet (also bass clarinet), narrator and orchestra
- op. 96: âÂÂBriefe aus dem Schattenâ for soloists, choir and orchestra
References
External links