EFREM PODGAITS (1949)
Composer Efrem Podgaits has composed more than 340 works in different genres (14 operas,7 musicals, 4 ballets, and a number of pieces for symphony and chamber orchestra, choir and solo singers as well as music for cinema and theatre). His compositions are widely performed and have been recorded in Russia, Ukraine, France, Germany, Great Britain, Italy, Hungary, Japan, Switzerland, Croatia and USA. He places equal importance on his music for children and is considered to be one of the most versatile and outstanding contemporary Russian composers. In 2002 the Russian monthly Musical Review named him Composer of the Year.
His music has been performed by world renowned artists including Mstislav Rostropovich, Mikhail Pletnev, Vladimir Yurovsky, Yuri Bashmet, Lubov Kazarnovskaya, Friedrich Lips, Alexsnder Gindin, Roman Kofman, Valery Polyansky, Vassily Sinaisky, Vladimir Ponkin, Saulus Sondetskis, and many others. He has had a continuing involvement with the Moscow-based Vesna Children’s Choir, directed by Alexander Ponomarev, and their wonderful performances of his work have brought Podgaits well-deserved recognition both in Russia and abroad.
Efrem Podgaits is a professor at the Ippolitov-Ivanov Moscow State Musical College, where he chairs the Department of Composition. Member of the Russian Union of Composers, member of the Boad of the Moscow Union of Composers, was awarded the title of Merited Propagator of the Arts of Russia.
The Russian monthly «The Musical Review» named E.Podgaits «Composer of the Year 2002».
In 2008 Efrem Podgaits won the Bolshoi Theatre / Russian Theatre Union Competition for the best children’s opera or ballet; his winning composition, the ballet Moidodyr was staged by the Bolshoi Theatre.
Key world premieres:
- 2024 – «DUM SPIRO, SPERO» for chamber orchestra
- 2024 – «Alice Trough the looking Glass», staged in URAL OPERA
- 2024 – «MAGIC SQUARE» for symphonic orcestra
- 2024 – Cantata «The Song of Myself» (Walt Whitman)
- 2024 - Symphony № 4 – «The Hills» (poem by I.Brodsky)
- 2024 – «JOURNEY» for domra, dombra and orchestra
- 2023 – «Rhymes of time» concert №4 for bayan and chamber orchestra
- 2023 - "Through the foliage" concert for domra, violin and chamber orchestra
- 2023 - «Thumbolina», staged in Ural Opera
- 2022 – «Symphony-Partita» for Russian folk orchestra
- 2022 – «ALICE» ballet, staged in Petrozavodsk
- 2022 – «PROPHETIC SADNESS» cycle for mezzo and chamber orchestra (O.Mandelstam)
- 2022 – Sonata «2022 year» for domra and piano
- 2022 – «YAKUT CONCERT» for balalaika and orchestra
- 2021 – «PRAYER TO OUR LADY» for choir and accordion
- 2021 – «THE COLORFULL BAY» (Kirjavalahti) concerto №3 for accordion and orchestra
- 2021 – PASSACAGLE and GIGA for violin and oboe d'amour and chamber orchestra
- 2021 – «DECEMBER» fantasy-concert for domra (balalaika) with orchestra
- 2021 – «PA-DE-QATRE» concerto for 4 violas and symphony orchestra
- 2020 – «Rendezvous» double concerto for domra, cello and orchestra
- 2020 – «GARLANDA» suite for guitar
- 2019 – «THE GARDEN OF MUSIC» suite for chamber orchestra
- 2019 – «The intersection» concerto for saxophone and chamber orchestra
- 2019 – «Echoes» for violin and guitar
- 2019 – «SHEPHERDESS and CHIMNEY SWEEP» fairy-tale for symphonic orchestra and reader
- 2019 – «BARANCIN, BE A MAN» staged in Moscow
- 2018 – «THE DOUBLE MIRROW» concert for cello, bayan and symphonic orchestra
- 2018 – «THE FOUR SEASONS IN MOSCOW», concert for violin (domra) and orchestra
- 2018 – «WANDERING CLOUDS» concert for mixt choir (E.Sedergran))
- 2018 – «GOLD SADNESS» concert for mixt choir (Vl.Nabokov)
- 2018 – «THE GARDEN OF MUSIC» suite for violin and cello
- 2017 – «A LITTLE PRINCE» fairy tale for symphonic orchestra and narrator
- 2017 – «MOIDODYR-miniOPERA» staged in Moscow
- 2016 – «AGES» for symphonic orchestra
- 2016 – Concerto for Domra-alto and chamber orchestra
- 2016 – «The Bluebird» ballet, staged in Moscow
- 2015 – Sonata for contrabass and piano
- 2015 – «THE GARLAND» suite for guitar
- 2014 – «BESPRIDANNITSA» musical, staged in Magadan
- 2014 – Symphony №1
- 2014 – «POST FESTUM» for cello and Russian folk orchestra
- 2013 – «12 MONTHS» musical, staged in Moscow
- 2013 – «King David`s psalms» concerto for 12 saxophones
- 2013 – «Shepherdess and the Chimney Sweep» opera, staged in Moscow
- 2012 – «Moidodyr» ballet (Moscow, the Bolshoi Theatre)
- 2012 – «Fantasy in B.Bartok memorian» for two pianos and percussions
- 2012 – «Amazing string tale» for chamber orchestra, soloists and reader
- 2011 – «Angel and psychotherapist» chamber opera
- 2011 – «Cras ignotum» for violin, chamber orchestra, piano and percussions
- 2011 – «The last musician» children's opera
- 2011 – Lacrimosa for chamber orchestra
- 2010 – «Solntsevorot» («Solstice») cantata for mixt choir and instrumental ensemble
- 2009 – «Kol nidre» for cello and chamber orchestra
- 2009 – Concerto for marimba and chamber orchestra
- 2009 – «Post festum» concerto for cello and orchestra
- 2009 – Concerto for viola and orchestra
- 2009 – «King David’s psalms» concerto for children choir and chamber orchestra
- 2009 – «Alliluia» for mixt choir and chamber orchestra
- 2009 – Opera «The Prince and the Pauper», staged in Moscow
- 2009 – Opera «Dwarf Long Nose», staged in Krasnodar
- 2008 – «Viva voce» – Concerto #2 for bayan and chamber orchestra
- 2008 – «Whims» Concerto-suite for balalayka and Russian folk orchestra
- 2008 – «The Prayer» for cello and children choir (in memoriam Mstislav Rostropovich)
- 2007 – Concerto #3 for piano and orchestra
- 2007 – Opera «Lord of the flies» (after W. Golding) staged in Moscow
- 2007 – Opera «The Prince and the Pauper», staged in St. Petersburg
- 2006 – «Ring» for violin and strings (fantasy on jewish theme)
- 2005 – Concerto for saxophone and orchestra
- 2005 – Symphony #2 (dedicated to M. Rostropovich) London, LSO, M. Rostropovich)
- 2004 – Concerto for balalaika and folk orchestra
- 2003 – «EX ANIMO» for bayan and string quartette
- 2003 – «POST FESTUM» for cellos orchestra, written under the request of M. Rostropovich (International festival, France)
- 2003 – «Strange dances» for bassoon and four hands piano
- 2002 – «New York mass» for mixt choir, organ and strings
- 2002 – «Lips-concerto» for bayan and orchestra
- 2002 – Concerto for guitar and chamber orchestra
- 2001 – Concerto for mandolina and chamber orchestra
- 2000 – «Formuls» – concerto for symphonic orchestra
- 1999 – «Post aere nostra» for string quartet
- 1998 – «Trip to the Orchestraland» fairy-tale for symphonic orchestra and reader
- 1997 – «Missa veris» for children‘s choir and organ (CD,«Opus 111», Paris, France)
- 1997 – «Sarafan for Michel» for clarinet and chamber orchestra
- 1997 – «Thumbolina», staged in Moscow, won the «grand-prix» in 2001 as the best children‘s performance
- 1996 – «Bakhchief-concerto» for 4 hands piano and chamber orchestra
- 1995 – «King David‘s psalms» concerto for mixt choir
- 1994 – «Concordanza» – Concerto #2 for violin and orchestra
- 1993 – Opera «Alice through the Looking-glass», staged in St. Petersburg
- 1992 – «Lambada-Concerto» for oboe and chamber orchestra
- 1991 – Triple concerto for violin, cello, piano and orchestra
- 1987 – «Concerto brevis» for percussion and chamber ensemble
- 1986 – Double concerto for two violins and chamber orchestra
- 1985 – Symphony #3«It will be the gentle rain» for soprano, organ, strings and percussions (Kiev, dedicated to R. Kofman)
- 1984 – Concerto #1 for violin and orchestra
- 1983 – Concerto for harpsichord and chamber orchestra
- 1981 – «How to draw a bird» cantata for soprano, children‘s choir and orchestra (J. Prevert)
- 1979 – Partita for violin, cello and harpsichord
Member of the Russian Union of Composers, member of the Boad of the Moscow Union of Composers, was awarded the title of Merited Propagator of the Arts of Russia.
The Russian monthly «The Musical Review» named E. Podgaits «Composer of the Year 2002».
E-mail: podgaits@mail.ru