Photo provided by Olexij Vojtenko
Olexij Vojtenko
Olexij Vojtenko (also spelled Alex Voytenko) is a composer, musicologist, and senior lecturer at the music theory department of the National Music Academy of Ukraine, Kyiv.
Vojtenko is primarily an autodidact. From 1998–2002, he studied at the department of computing techniques of the Kyiv Polytechnic Institute and graduated with a Bachelor’s degree. He continued his studies from 2002–2007 at the National Music Academy of Ukraine, the composition class of Professor Yuri Ishchenko, where he earned a Master’s degree. From 2007–2010, he was a Ph.D. student at the music theory department of the National Music Academy (supervisor—Professor Bogdan Syuta) and defended his thesis in 2012.
Vojtenko’s main scholarly interests are the ontology of music, history of music theory, theory of orchestration, theory of serial composition, history of the “Kyiv avant-garde” group, Volodymyr Zahortsev’s (1944–2010) oeuvre, Nikolai Myaskovsky’s (1881–1950) work.
In 2021, he published a book In Memoriam. Композитор Володимир Загорцев. Статті, листи, спогади. Матеріали до біографії [“In Memoriam. Composer Volodymyr Zahortsev. Articles, letters, memories. Materials for biography”].
Olexij Vojtenko’s major composition is his Book for 4 strings The Music of Erich Zann (2004–2018) after Howard Phillips Lovecraft’s short story.
Selected works
Sonata for violin solo, №7 (2009) from Book for 4 strings The Music of Erich Zann (2004–2018) after Howard Phillips Lovecraft’s short story.
Performed by Orest Smovzh
11 March 2010, National Music Academy of Ukraine, Kyiv
youtube.com/watch?v=xAwSxtaD4II
The possibility of an Island for piano and strings (2011)
Performed by Batumi State orchestra, conductor: George Shekiladze, piano: Nino Jvania
May 2014, Batumi first international festival of 21 century music, Batumi, Georgia
Tempus Fugit for piano and orchestra (2007, rev. 2013)
Performed by Academic Symphony Orchestra of the National Philharmonic of Ukraine, conductor: Vitalii Protasov, piano: Oleh Bezborodko
4 October 2013, National Philarmonic of Ukraine, Kyiv
GZI for chamber ensemble (2009)
Performed by ensemble Ricochet, conductor: Victoria Ratsiuk
April 2010, Kyiv
Sinthome (2018)
Short movie by Renan Braga (Cuba). Music by Olexij Voytenko
The Music of Erich Zann for double bass solo, performed by A. Zhukov
Epitaph in memoriam Volodymyr Zahortsev (2014)
Performed by Yevhen Gromov
29 October 2019, Concert of piano music by B. Bartok and V. Zahortsev, Lysenko Column Hall of the National Philharmonic of Ukraine, Kyiv
youtube.com/watch?v=GAx-gvhNdps
Nóμoς for 12 strings (2005/2018)
Performed by Collegium Musicum Orchestra, conductor: Ivan Ostapovych
18 December 2020, Lviv Organ Hall
youtube.com/watch?v=qbykSCIjhyo
Sonata for double bass solo (2010, rev. 2017)
№2 from Book for 4 strings The Music of Erich Zann (2004–2018) after Howard Phillips Lovecraft’s short story
Performed by Nazar Stets
youtube.com/watch?v=a0vNmxrNBUw
Things off Themselves for harpsichord solo (2011, rev. 2017)
Dedicated to Natalia Sikorska
Performed by Natalia Sikorska
January 2018, Lviv Organ Hall
youtube.com/watch?v=9gA7BWQnnRE
Epitaph for double bass and piano (2003/2021)
Double bass: Nazar Stets, piano: Tetiana Homon
youtube.com/watch?v=_RZ_-nAnLLE
Lento for piano and orchestra (2012)
Dedicated to Mateusz Skutnik
Performed by National Ensemble of soloists Kyiv Camerata, conductor: Valerii Matiukhin
26 March 2013, Hall of the National Union of Composers of Ukraine, Kyiv
Awards
2014 Recipient of Levko Revutskyi Prize of the Ministry of Culture of Ukraine
2006 Diploma of Composers competition in memory of Dmitri Shostakovich, Saint Petersburg, Russia
2004 World Wagner Society stipendium
Funded by the Stabilisation Fund for Culture and Education of the German Federal Foreign Office and the Goethe-Institut. goethe.de
Project team: Les Vynogradov, Albert Saprykin, Mariia Tytova, Polina Horodyska, Daria Vdovina, Dmytro Babenko, Olha Sauh