Aleksey Igudesman

IGUDESMAN’S COMPOSER BIOGRAPHY

Education

Aleksey Igudesman studied composition with Simon Parkin and Malcolm Singer, himself a pupil of György Ligeti and Nadia Boulanger.

Orchestral and Instrumental Music

Aleksey Igudesman’s compositions have been performed worldwide by orchestras like the Chicago Symphony, Seattle Symphony Orchestra, the Los Angeles Philharmonic, London Philharmonic, Copenhagen Philharmonic, the Vienna Symphony and Orchestra dell'Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia.

Igudesman has been commissioned to write works for the New York Philharmonic, Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, Lucerne Symphony Orchestra, Orchestra Teatro Carlo Felice Genova, Düsseldorf Symphony Orchestra, Tonhalle- Orchester Zürich and the Oslo Philharmonic.

Igudesman’s instrumental music is regularly performed by great soloists such as Gidon Kremer, Julian Rachlin, Janine Jansen, Yuja Wang, Gabriela Montero, Joshua Bell, Johannes Moser, Lawrence Power and Antoine Tamestit, among many others.

Recordings of Igudesman’s Music

In 2014, Daniel Hope recorded Igudesman’s “Lento” for violin, strings and choir for Deutsche Gramophone. In 2015, Joshua Bell recorded Igudesman’s “Christmas Confusion” for Sony for his CD, entitled “Musical Gifts”. In 2016, Igudesman released a CD of his own arrangements and compositions called “You Just Have To Laugh” with Igudesman & Joo, and John Malkovich as a special guest.

In 2017, Igudesman released “Fasten Seat Belts”, a sheet music book and a CD with his pieces for solo violin. His chamber music has been recorded for many labels by a variety of international artists around the world and filmed and uploaded by many musicians of all ages onto YouTube, Facebook and Instagram. His compositions are often played by prize winners in competitions, such as Maria Dueñas in the 2021 Yehudi Menuhin competition, which she went on to win.

Film Music by Igudesman

Igudesman writes, arranges and records film music, often collaborating with the Academy Award winning film composer, Hans Zimmer. Igudesman has composed, arranged and played on the films The Road to El Dorado, Spanglish and Sherlock Holmes, which was nominated for Best Original Score at the Academy Awards in 2010. Igudesman co-wrote the music for Jealous of the Birds with Hans Zimmer, which won the Grand Prize for the Best Original Score at the Rhode Island Film Festival.

Igudesman was part of the writing team for the movies Rango and Inception and has also written and performed on Sherlock Holmes 2: A Game of Shadows, Madagascar 3, The Lone Ranger, 300: Rise of an Empire, Inferno and Boss Baby 2.

Finally, Igudesman has written the music for numerous documentaries, such as Noseland, Wachau, Schönbrunn, Salzburg 

and Maria Theresia.

QUOTES BY MUSICIANS ABOUT IGUDESMAN’S MUSIC

"The amazing success of Aleksey Igudesman is based on three key points: his great talent, his mind blowing creativity and and his total dedication.

Add to that his charisma and his fantastic personality and you have truly an artist to admire. One can feel this in every note of his composition.”

Vadim Repin

“Aleksey Igudesman knows, like no other, how to fascinate and inspire developing musicians by introducing and revealing the pleasures of all kinds of music, be it classical, Klezmer or any other world music. The quality of his compositions is simply superb.”

Julian Rachlin

“Aleksey Igudesman is one of the most versatile musicians I have ever met. With his music you are taken on a unique journey through many different musical styles. In his extraordinarily gifted way, Aleksey gives each piece an exciting life of its own.” Janine Jansen

“Aleksey Igudesman is a highly creative personality in our ‘boxed-in’ musical world, always aiming to do something original. He has an amazing knowledge of violin technique and has lots of tricks which he conveys in his own inimitable

way, being a brilliant performer, arranger and composer. His music is full of wit and intelligence.”

Gidon Kremer

“Igudesman is a formidable violinist and a composer/arranger of uncanny versatility. No matter which genre of music he draws us into, he always manages to capture the essence of the musical language and does so in his uniquely clever and joyful way. I always eagerly await Igudesman’s latest contributions to the repertoire.”

Joshua Bell

“Aleksey Igudesman is a magician of music and a truly generous artist.

He is creating works to unite people, to open the ears, the minds and the souls of musicians and audiences. So I can only look forward to playing his music often and soon!”

Antoine Tamestit

“I’ve been a great admirer of Aleksey Igudesman’s many remarkable talents since a very long time. Igudesman is a musical virtuoso and a great composer; anything he touches turns to gold. I am enchanted by his music, every time I hear it.”

Mischa Maisky

“My ultimate secret weapon is Aleksey Igudesman.”

Hans Zimmer

PREVIOUS ORCHESTRAL COMISSIONS (EXCERPT)

“Ring In The Classics” for Symphony Orchestra

commissioned by New York Philharmonic

“An Austrian in America” for Symphony Orchestra

commissioned by Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra

“Clash of the Soloists” for violin, piano and symphony orchestra

commissioned by Tonhalle Zurich Orchestra

“A Historical and Hysterical Guide to the Orchestra” for symphony orch.

commissioned by Tonhalle Zurich Orchestra

“For A Lease” for symphony orchestra

commissioned by Oslo Philharmonic

“Joyful Variations” for symphony orchestra

commissioned by Oslo Philharmonic

“Beethoven Takes Five” for symphony orchestra

commissioned by Oslo Philharmonic

“Koberia” for two violins and string orchestra

commissioned by Vadim Repin and Transsiberian Arts Festival world premiere by Vadim Repin and Clara-Jumi Kang

“Waltz of the World” for symphony orchestra and choir

commissioned by Lucerne Symphony Orchestra

“Concerto for Harp and Orchestra”

commissioned by Tyrol Symphony Orchestra

for Magdalena Hofmann – world premiere set for 2022/23

EXAMPLES OF IGUDESMAN’S WORK

KOBERIA (for 2 solo violins and string orchestra) by Aleksey Igudesman

https://youtu.be/7lPQsmbmZAE

PASSAGAGLIA (for viola solo) by Aleksey Igudesman

https://youtu.be/6ZZVrVCLOGk

TURKISH DANCE SUITE (for piano quintet) by Aleksey Igudesman

https://youtu.be/EQnDefEfRg8 https://youtu.be/2oQbFy9HqHg https://youtu.be/CMfcMyQwpvw

STRING QUARTET by Aleksey Igudesman

https://youtu.be/WoEKR7_-kEc

OH MY DARLING JOHANN STRAUSS (for symphony orchestra) by Aleksey Igudesman

https://youtu.be/TAU-xLH1Fz8

SHERLOCK HOLMES FANTASY (for soloists and symphony orchestra) by Aleksey Igudesman and Hans Zimmer

orchestration by Aleksey Igudesman

https://youtu.be/_daiCn1bgsc https://youtu.be/Iv2vYx2tjmM