Biography

Evgeny (Yevhen) Gromov is a Ukrainian pianist. Born 2 January 1973 (settlem. Klopotivtsi, region Khmelnitsky).

Started to study music at the age of 7 with Yelena Skliarova. Went on with music studies at Kyiv specialized Mykola Lysenko musical school (with Anatoly Hud’ko and Natalia Tolpyho, 1987 – 1991). Entered Tchaikovsky National Musical Academy of Ukraine, Kyiv (studies with Valery Kozlov, Iya Pavlova, 1991 – 1996, Kyiv).

Attended master-classes and workshops of a composer Helmuth Lachenmann (Germany) as well as those of composers and conductors Pierre Boulez (France), Péter Eötvös (Hungary) working on the XX century masterpieces including Maestros own compositions (Lucern Festival Academy, 2005 – 2007, Switzerland).

The pianist’s repertoire includes works by H. Purcell, J. S. Bach, G. F. Händel, J.-Ph. Rameau. D. Scarlatti, F. J. Haydn, W. A. Mozart, D. Bortniansky, L. van Beethoven, F. P. Schubert, R. Schumann, M. I. Glinka, M. P. Mussorgsky, P. I. Tchaikovsky, W. R. Wagner, J. Brahms, etc… 

Gromov's special concern is the XX century music that of E. Satie, C. Debussy, A. Scriabin, A. Schoenberg, A. Webern, A. Berg, M. Ravel, B. Bartók, Szymanowski, N. Roslavets, A. V. Lourié, A. Mossolov, S. Prokofiev, I. Stravinsky, L. Dallapiccola, O. Messiaen, A. Jolivet, J. Cage, E. Carter, M. Feldman, P. Boulez, L. Berio, K. Stockhausen, G. Ustvolskaya, E. Denisov, A. Volkonsky, N. Karetnikov, A. Schnittke, A. Knaifel, G. Kurtág and others.

Initiated and performed a series of piano recitals – epitaphs:

  • in memory of his father Volodymyr Pavlovych Gromov (1995, concert hall of Tchaikovsky NMAU);
  • in memory of a composer Nikolai Karetnikov (1996, concert hall of Ukraine Composers National Union);
  • in memory of a poet Joseph Brodsky (1997, Great Hall of Shevchenko National University);
  • in memory of a composer Karlheinz Stockhausen (2009, Russian Art Museum).

Gromov prepared and performed a series of solo monographic programmes – dedications:

  • commemorating the 60th anniversary of the composer Valentyn Silvestrov (1998, Ukraine National Philharmony Hall of columns);
  • commemorating the 80th anniversary of the composer and conductor Pierre Boulez (2005, Kyiv, Krakow, Runenberg);
  • commemorating the 80th anniversary of the composer György Kurtag (2006, Tchaikovsky NMAU, Andriyivska Church );
  • commemorating the 100th anniversary of the composer Konstantyn (Constantine) Regamey jn. (2007, Kirovograd, Kyiv, Vynnytsia, Kolomyia);
  • commemorating the 50th anniversary of the composer Viktoria Poleva (2012, Lviv);

in addition, the author's monographic programmes commemorating the anniversaries of Erik Satie (2010), Modest Mussorgsky (2011), Claude Debussy (2012), Igor Stravinsky (2012), Jean-Philippe Rameau (2014), Arnold Schoenberg (2014)…

Moreover, Gromov is the creator and performer of conceptual musical projects offering seldom played works that establish nonstandard links between different music epochs. To give but a few examples:

  • «Mozart and his aesthetics » (Musical Premieres of the Season, 2006);
  • “ Intersections 1/5 ...” :
  • 1 Wagner – Webern (Gogol Fest 2008)
  • 2 Mozart – Stockhausen (5 December 2008, Russian Art Museum)
  • 3 Haydn – Knaifel (Basel, Schmiedenzunft Saal, 9.IV.2009)
  • 4 Bortniansky – Ustvolskaya (Zürich, Kyiv, Gogol Fest 2009)
  • 5 Stravinsky – Poleva (Lviv, Contrasts 2012);
  • «Black upon the Black» (Days of informal Russian culture and nonconformism, 2009);
  • «Dmytro Bortniansky and XX century Ukrainian piano music» (ART-ARSENAL official opening , 2009);
  • «Visiting the Fairy Tale (The exhibition opening "The Fairy Tale in Russian painting", 2011);
  • « A Vitruvian man – 325 : 4 = (75/130/50/70)» (Kyiv Music Fest, 2012).

Alongside with his performing activity, Mr.Gromov is a researcher (scholar) and educator:

  • over 2002 – 2004, together with the composer Serhiy Pilyutikov he gave a series of lectures “ The XX century music” (Ukraine Composers' Union);
  • 7 December 2005 Mr.Gromov had a performance-analytical master class: “Controlled aleatorics and the principles it was implemented in Third Piano Sonata (1955–57/1963) by Pierre Boulez” (P. I. Tchaikovsky NMAU);
  • from 27 February to 3 March 2006 – a cycle of creative workshops “ Kyiv avant-garde of the 1960s. The School of Boris Liatoshynsky” (P. I. Tchaikovsky NMAU);
  • May 2011 – a lecture “Piano and Symphonic Works by Modest Mussorgsky”
  • (Vinnytsia M. Leontovytch culture and arts college);
  • April 2013 – together with Vitaly Godziatsky made a report on an early formative years of the composer Volodymyr Zagortsev (Ukraine Composers' Union)...

Gromov performed Mozart Piano Concertos (Ukraine National Symphony Orchestra, Kyiv and Odesa Philharmonic, conductors V. Sirenko, I. Shavruk respectively), Haydn D major Concerto (Kyiv Chamber Orchestra, conductor R. Kofman), Stockhausen “Kontra–punkte”, Volkonsky “Immobile” (the Ensemble of Soloists from Kyiv National Philharmonic orchestra, conductor V. Runchak).

Mr. Gromov’s numerous recitals took place at various international and Ukrainian musical festivals. He recitaled in Ukraine, Russia, Belarus, Poland, Germany, Italy, France, Switzerland, the Netherlands.

Worked in close collaboration with many Ukrainian authors of various generations while preparing their piano compositions for performing (L. Hrabovsky, V. Godziatsky, V. Silvestrov, Ye. Stankovytch, V. Zahortsev, S. Krutykov, Ya. Hubanov, O. Shchetynsky, S. Luniov, V.Poleva, L.Yurina, S. Zazhyt’ko...) Made over 100 World and Ukrainian premieres.

Recorded CDs with piano compositions by Richard Wagner, Аrnold Schoenberg, Аlban Berg, Аnton (von) Webern, Levko Revutsky, Leonid Hrabovsky, Vitaly Godziatzky, Valentyn Silvestrov, Volodymyr Huba, Yevhen Stankovych, Petro Solovkin, Volodymyr Zagortsev, Sviatoslav Krutykov, Аlexander Knaifel, Pierre Boulez (ТNC Recording, USA).

Levko Revutsky National Prize Winner (1996), StART Award (2003).