Pavel Karmanov

Pavel Karmanov (Russian: Пáвел Виќторович Кармáнов; 12 February 1970 – 23 November 2024) was a Russian composer and rock musician.

Pavel Karmanov
Павел Карманов
Karmanov in 2013
Born	(1970-02-12)12 February 1970 Bratsk, Irkutsk Oblast, Russian SFSR, USSR
Died	23 November 2024(2024-11-23) (aged 54)
Nationality	Russian
Alma mater	Moscow Conservatory
Occupation	composer

Life and career

Karmanov was introduced to music by his mother, a pianist. As the result his first compositions were written in Novosibirsk at the early age of 5. In the late 1970s he moved to Moscow, where he was accepted by the Central School of Music for gifted young musicians, which he graduated in 1988. In 1995 he graduated from Tchaikovsky Conservatory. In Moscow he studied with:

1978–1981 – Georgy Dmitriev (ru)

1978–1995 – Professor Alexey Nikolayev

1978–1995 – Professor Albert Leman

1981–1995 – Anatoly Bykanov

1985–1995 – Professor Yuri Kholopov

In 1996 Karmanov was accepted to the Moscow Composers Union.

From 2000 through 2017, he was a permanent member of an alternative rock group Vezhlivy Otkaz.

Karmanov died on 23 November 2024, at the age of 54.

Festivals

Karmanov was a regular participant of the major music festivals, such as:

Moscow Autumn – 1991, 1996, 1997, 1998, 2006

The Alternative – 1990, 1996, 1997, 1998 Moscow, Russia

SoundRoute 1999 Tokyo – Moscow festival in Japan

Warsaw Autumn Poland – 2005

Shostakovich Festival in Seattle US – 2006.

Performances

Karmanov's pieces were performed at the Moscow Conservatory, the St. Petersburg Philharmonics, and concerts and festivals around the world. His music is regularly performed by Alexei Lubimov, Yuri Bashmet, Vadym Kholodenko (Van Cliburn International Piano Competition winner – 2013), Tatiana Grindenko and "OPUSPOSTH", the percussionist Mark Pekarsky and his ensemble, the pianists Polina Osetinskaya, Mikhail Dubov, and other prominent Russian musicians and orchestras. Among the foreign performers playing pieces by this composer:

• PADSEnsemble (Italy)
• Seattle Chamber Players ensemble (US)
• The Odeon Quartet (US)
• Beethoven quartet (Basel, Switzerland)

Awards

• 2005 Golden Eagle Award for Best Original Score for Soldatsky dekameron
• 2009 Bessie Award

Screen works

Karmanov had composed music for movies and documentaries. The collection includes

• Bolshoi director Valery Todorovsky
• Arena (Gladiatrix) director Timur Bekmambetov, producer — Roger Corman (US)
• Soldatsky dekameron by Andrei Proshkin
• Gulf Stream Under the Iceberg by Evgeny Pashkevich
• documentaries by Alexei Khanyutin, including "Music for the Fireworks" and "The Road" etc.

Karmanov created soundtracks for television series. Some of them:

• "Only you”, by Nana Dzhordzhadze
• "Multiplying Grieve” by Oleg Fesenko.

He composed music for various cartoons including animated movies by Ivan Maximov.

Stage work

In 2009, in New York, the choreographer Pam Tanowitz won the new dance award “The Bessies”, using Pavel's music for her show titled ”Be in the Gray with me”. Karmanov also received the award for his music.

In June 2013 Bolshoi Theatre staged Alexander Borodin's Prince Igor, which was warmly received by audiences and critics. The new opera is shorter, with director cutting out some parts of the opera. Karmanov and Vladimir Martynov worked on the opera's score to accommodate the new structure. According to Vassily Sinaisky, the Bolshoi chief conductor, such a new structure of the opera was conceived to make it more dynamic and intense.

Recordings

From 1997, Karmanov's music has played on television and radio around the world.

In 2006 Nazar Kozhuhar and his ensemble “The Pocket symphony” recorded and released Karmanov’s first CD with chamber music.

In 2014 FANCYMUSIC records released the second disc titled «Get in».

Major works

• "Re-Major III" for piano, vibraphone and string quintet (1992)

Premiere Moscow, I-st Festival of memory of violinist Oleg Kagan with Alexander Melnikov (piano) and Yuri Bashmets "Moscow Soloists"

Yakutsk, Russia, "Yakutsk camerata" - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EdvvjKYMGNU

• Trio "Birthday present for myself", Viola, Cello and Piano (1993)

Premiere - Festival of "Alternativa». Moscow

Paris, France, at 59 RIVOLI "chez Robert, électrons libres" - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ipHncihudyY

Vadim Kholodenko - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wVjo3hqDZcU

• "Music for the Firework" for chamber ensemble (1997)

Premiere Moscow, Festival of "Alternativa» with Nazar Kozhukhar & The Pocket symphony - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LtwFksDC2KI

• "Different ... rains" for flute, piano and magnetic tape (1996)

Premiere Festival "SoundRoute 1999 Tokio - Moscow" in Japan with Oleg Khudyakov (flute), Alexei Lubimov (piano)

Maria Fedotova (Flute), Polina Osetinskaya (Piano) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5fvqHiPg9QY

• "Seven minutes before Christmas" for flute, piano and magnetic tape (1996)

Maria Fedotova, Yuri Bashmets "Moscow Soloists" - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T33iyxocg5I

• "String quaREtet" (1997)

Tallinn, "Eesti musika paevad", Estonia Vlad Pesin (Vn), Marina Katarzhnova ( Vn), Asya Sorshneva (Viola), Petr Kondrashin (Cello) 3/25/2011 - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZdamO9eHBhY

• "ForellenQuintet" ("Trout-quintet") (1998)

Nazar Kozhukhar & The Pocket symphony, film by Andrey Klimenko - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1fzNdg06Bf8

Seattle, US - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DC9dvsYdhq0

• "Schlaf, mein Herz, schlaf ein" for soloists, 3 choirs and orchestra (2000)

Tatiana Grindenko & The OPUS POSTH, Mark Pekarski percussion project, Sirin ensemble, Moscow Choir by Gennady Dmitryak - http://pavelkarmanov.com/node/205

• "GreenDNA" for String Orchestra (2000) for strings

Big Hall of Moscow conservatory - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hkd-LhBAu-k

• "Den" (folk drama "Death of King Herod") for soloists, choir, rock band and orchestra (2002)

part #5 - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T41vl9LOfWc (slideshow)

• 9/11 for chamber orchestra in the memory of tragedy in NYC (2001)

2002 Nazar Kozhukhar & The Pocket symphony - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ua5lJnqFgNM

• "The Word" for soloists and mixed choir (2002)

Premiere. Great hall of St. Petersbourg philharmony. Youth Choir of Saint Petersburg Philharmonic's society, Conductor Yulia Khutoretskaya - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xQk0lEQHTGQ

• «Second snow at the Stadium» for viola and piano (2003)

Maxim Novikov (Viola), Petr Aidu (Piano), Kevork Mourad (painting) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EJ0LIRUUib8

• «Intermezzo» for piano and orchestra (2004)

Alexey Goribol (Piano) & The One orchestra (Russia) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uumv7zDIsY4

• «Get in» for 5 performers (2005). SCP commission.

Premiere - Seattle (US) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RBi9V1wl1QM

Warsaw yesen (Warshav autumn), Poland– 2005

• «Cambridge music» for Piano Quartet (2008)

England premiere – London, Cambridge, Oxford - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1GfttBghxO0

• «Innerlichkeit» («sincerity, intimacy") for two pianos, flute, harp and string quintet (2009)

space slideshow - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4ba8x63NeWM

• Music for video installations by a group of artists AES+F

Feast of Trimalchio (2009) - http://aesf-group.com/projects/the_feast_of_trimalchio/

Allegoria sacra (2011) - http://aesf-group.com/projects/allegoria_sacra/

INVERSO MUNDUS (2015)

• Twice a double concerto (2009) for 2 chamber orchestras in different tunings

Different tuning. Moscow premiere - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1JlftPpmK0Y

Same Tuning. European premiere, Riga, Latvia - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-OZ0hp8nh50

• Force majeur for 2 violins and 2 pianos (2010)

Moscow premiere - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QC0ArnaJzBI (live),

recordings - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tyR03efGGEA

• Different brooks - order of Tallinn festival

"Eesti musika paevad" Estonia (2011) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GUWAZx2us3w

• "Day One" for viola, children's choir, organ and percussion (2011)

Premiere at the Dome Cathedral in Riga, Latvia - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=59xNTBooiqQ

• "Funny Valentine" for viola and harp (2012)

Maxim Novikov, Valentina Borisova. premiere - Riga, Latvia - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8ETlJ2UG1Bg

• "The City I Love and Hate", Piano sextet (2012) commissioned by Basel music festival "Culturescapes"

Premiere at "Culturescapes" - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kqcDZDwz2O4

• Oratorio "5 Angels" for mixed choir, soloists and chamber choir (2013) Commissioned by international Festival "Academia of Orthodox Music"

Yulia Khutoretskaya & The Young chamber choir & The One Orchestra. Solo Violas - Maxim Novikov, Alexey Bogorad. Conductor Yulia Khutoretskaya. Russia, St.-Petersburg, 07/16/2013 - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CvLj0W6v8Kg

• "Past perfect" for Piano solo commissioned by Ksenia Bashmet (2015)

Moscow premiere - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Orn9LplPeQ

• "La musica con Cello" for Cello and Orchestra (2015) commissioned by cellist Boris Andrianov

Great hall of Moscow conservatoire premiere - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UqHEyMgcI3U

External links

• Pavel Karmanov's official website
• Pavel Karmanov at IMDb
• Pavel Karmanov discography at Discogs
• Вежливый Отказ discography at Discogs