Lev Zhurbin

Lev 'Ljova' Zhurbin (born August 18, 1978 in Moscow, Russia) is a composer, violist, and arranger. Ljova is the author of over 70 original compositions for classical, jazz, and folk music ensembles. He has also contributed musical scores to numerous short and feature films. Among recent projects is a commission from the City of London Sinfonia, a string quartet for Brooklyn Rider and a commission for Yo-Yo Ma and the Silk Road Project; arrangements for the Brooklyn Philharmonic, tenor Javier Camarena, conductor Alondra de la Parra, the Mexican songwriter Natalia Lafourcade, composer/guitarist Gustavo Santaolalla, The Knights, and collaborations with choreographers Aszure Barton, Damian Woetzel, Christopher Wheeldon and Eduardo Vilaro (with Ballet Hispanico).

Ljova immigrated to the United States and has lived on the Upper West Side of New York City since 1990. He is the son of one of Russia's foremost composers, Alexander Zhurbin, and the poet/lyricist/writer Irena Ginzburg.

Ljova released his debut solo CD, Vjola: World on Four Strings, in July 2006 on his own label, Kapustnik Records. "Mnemosyne", the debut album of his ensemble, Ljova and the Kontraband, featured Frank London, William Schimmel and other special guests. His third album, "Lost in Kino", focuses on his film music, featuring Ljova's cues from collaborations with films by Francis Ford Coppola, James Marsh, Robin Hessman, Josef Astor, Lev Polyakov, Roman Khrushch, Sean Gannet and Basia Winograd.

In 2012, Ljova released his fourth album, "Melting River", featuring music created for a dance piece by choreographer Aszure Barton. It was initially released as a download-exclusive on Bandcamp, but has since been issued on limited edition vinyl with bonus tracks.

2014 saw the release of "No Refund on Flowers", the second album by Ljova and the Kontraband, crowdfunded through a 34-second campaign on Kickstarter.

2015 and 2016 saw the releases of soundtrack albums to Ljova's scores for "Finding Babel" and "Datuna: Portrait of America".

In addition to albums, Ljova routinely releases singles through his page on Soundcloud.

Ljova is married to Inna Barmash, an attorney and musician. They have two sons, Benjamin (born 2009) and Yosif (born 2011).

Compositions and projects

Arrangements and orchestrations

Arrangements and transcriptions for Yo-Yo Ma and the Silk Road Ensemble:

• Azeri Traditional (Azerbaijan): Chahargah, Rast Dilchesh
• Chinese Traditional: Blue
• Moldavian Traditional: Sirba in E-flat
• Rabih Abou-Khalil (Lebanon): Arabian Waltz, Norma’s Secret
• Romanian Traditional: Doina Oltului
• Romanian Traditional: Hora Martisorului
• Sandeep Das (India): Mohini, Summohini
• Gheorghe Enescu (Romania): Bohemian Rhapsody No. 1
• Kayhan Kalhor (Iran): The Silent City, Layers of Loneliness, The Mountains are Far Away
• Sapo Perapaskero (Romania): Briu, Rustem, Turceasca (arranged in collaboration with Osvaldo Golijov)
• Dorado Schmidt (France): Kali Sara
• Dorado Schmidt (France): Tchavolo Swing
• Wu Man (China): Green, Red

Arrangements and transcriptions for the Kronos Quartet:

• Rahman Asadollahi (Iran/Azerbaijan): Mugam Beyati Shiraz, Garmon Yanar Odlaryurduna
• Rahul Dev Burman (India): Dum Maro Dum, Ekta Deshlai Kathi Jwalao, Chura Liya Hai Tum Ne, Koi Aaya Aane Bhi De, Mera Kuchh Saaman, Piya Tu Ab To Aaja, Rishte Bante Hain, Saiyan Re Saiyan
• Walter Kitundu (Tanzania/US): Cerulean Sweet I & II & III
• Matmos (US): For Terry Riley, Solo Buttons for Joe Meek
• Unknown (Iraq): Oh Mother, the Handsome Man Tortures Me
• Swedish Traditional, arr. Triakel: Tusen Tankar
• L. Subramaniam (India): Rag Kivani: Ragam
• Ram Narayan (India): Raga Mishra Bhairavi: Alap
• Unknown (Sepharadic): Ahellel El, Balak Tinsani, La Moledet Shouvi-Roni, Samahti
• Yellen/Pollack (USA): Mayn Yiddishe Mame

Arrangements for Brooklyn Philharmonic & Alan Pierson

• Vyacheslav Artyomov: A Boy as a Boy (film soundtrack)
• Gennady Gladkov / Ljova: Fantasy overture to The Bremen Musicians
• Gennady Gladkov: Suite from The Bremen Musicians (film soundtrack)
• Mieczysław Weinberg: Vinni Pukh Goes Visiting (film soundtrack)

Arrangements for The Joffrey Ballet

• Chaikovsky (Russia): The Nutcracker Party

Arrangements for The Gaslight Anthem

• The Gaslight Anthem: Get Hurt (performed on the Late Show with David Letterman)

Arrangements for Bond

• Russian-Gypsy Traditional: Mama, I Love the Gypsy Jana!

Arrangements for Morphoses / The Wheeldon Company / Dallas Opera

• Jacques Offenbach / Ljova: Tales of Offenbach

Arrangements for Brooklyn Rider

• Kayhan Kalhor (Iran): Parvaz
• Toivo Kärki (Finland): Täysikuu (Full Moon)

Arrangements for Gustavo Santaolalla and Philharmonic Orchestra of the Americas

• Apertura, De Ushuaia a la Quiaca, The Journey, A Love That Will Never Grow Old, Brokeback Mountain Medley (co-arranged with David Campbell)

Arrangements for Bajofondo & Philharmonic Orchestra of the Americas

• Mi Amor, No Preguntos Cuanto Son, Montserrat, Bruma, Duro Y Parejo, Mi Amor, Miles de Pasajeros, Gran Guignol, Pa’ Bailar, Perfume, Los Tangueros

Arrangements for Philharmonic Orchestra of the Americas / Alondra de la Parra

• Astor Piazzolla (Argentina): Otoño Porteño and Invierno Porteño, Primavera Porteña
• Gloria Estefan (Cuba) – Estefantasia, a 5-minute medley of the songs of Gloria Estefan, created for the Latin Grammy Awards 2008.
• Juventino Rosas (Mexico) – Sobre Las Olas (Over The Waves)

Travieso Carmesí — arrangements for Alondra de la Parra, Ely Guerra, Natalia Lafourcade, Denise Gutierrez (Lo Blondo), Aleks Syntek, Mane de la Parra, Armando Manzanero

• Anonimo – La Llorona
• Lorenzo Barcelata – Sandunga
• Gonzalo Curiel – Vereda Tropical
• Maria Grever – Júrame, Te Qiuero, Dijiste
• José Alfredo Jimenez – Amanecí en tus Brazos
• Agustín Lara – Aventurera, Azul, como el cielo, Coplas Guajira / Morir y renacer, Farolito, La Fugitiva, Imposible, Piensa en Mi, Oración Caribe, Solamente Una Vez, Veracruz, Un Viejo Amor
• Armando Manzanero – Adoro, Esta Tarde Vi Llover, Por Debaje de la Mesa
• Tomás Méndez – Cucurrucucú Paloma
• Quirino Mendoza y Cortés – Cielito Lindo
• Manuel M. Ponce – Estrellita
• Aleks Syntek – Historias de Danzón y de Arrabal

Arrangements for Ute Lember and the Jasper String Quartet:

• Kurt Weill (Germany): Youkali, Der Song von Mandelay

Arrangements for “Edwin: The Story of Edwin Booth”:

• Marianna Rosett (Romania/Hungary/USA): Edwin: The Story of Edwin Booth (off-Broadway premiere cast version)

Arrangements for Madeleine Peyroux & The Art of Time Ensemble:

• Leonard Cohen (Canada): Dance Me to the End of Love

Arrangements for Jan Vogler & The Knights

• Dmitri Shostakovich (Russia): Five Waltzes from Film Music & Jazz Suites: Michurin, The Gadfly, Jazz Suite No. 1: Waltz, Jazz Suite No. 2 Waltz No. 1, Jazz Suite No. 2 Waltz No. 2

Arrangements for The Knights

• Sapo Perapaskero (Romania): A Stork Crosses The Danube, In The Company Of A Raven
• Franz Schubert (Germany): Gretchen am Spinnrade, Ständchen

Arrangements for Alexander Fiterstein

• For Clarinet, Cello & Piano: Emil Kroitor (Moldova / Israel): Wedding Hora — clarinet, cello, piano

For Clarinet & String Quartet:

• Rep. of Dave Tarras (Ukraine): Zeydn’s Tans, Sirba in B-flat, Kiever Sher
• Traditional / Unknown: Gas Nign No. 72 (Makonovetski’s), Tants a Freilakh, Zoghets & Freylakhs
• Rep. of Naftule Brandwein (Ukraine): Nifty’s Freylakh, Firn di Mekhutonim Aheym

Arrangements for the Detroit Symphony & Soloists

• Joseph Rumshinsky (Russia / Lithuania): March from Chantshe in Amerike
• Gershwin / Berlin (USA): Swing Medley (Liza – Blue Skies – Alexander’s Ragtime Band)
• Yellen / Pollack (USA): Mayn Yiddishe Mame
• Ellstein / Picon (USA): Ikh Zing
• Pokrass / Glick (Ukraine): Zog Nit Keyn Mol
• Olshanetsky / Tauber (Ukraine): Ikh Hob Dikh Tzufil Lieb
• Traditional & Ljova: Klezmer Tanz Suite (Zhok in D minor / Zeydn’s Tants, Budget Bulgar)
• Stephen Schwartz (USA): When You Believe (from The Prince of Egypt)
• Naomi Shemer (Israel): Medley (includes Y’rushalayim Shel Zahav, Shiro Shel Aba, Al Kol Ele, Machar, Lu Yehi, Od Lo Ahavti Da)
• Various (Israel): Jerusalem Medley (includes Lach Y’rushalayim, Sisu Y’rushalayim, B’Shana Haba’ah)
• Trad. (Israel): Hatikvah
• Rotblit & Rosenblum (Israel): Shir L’Shalom
• Sepharadic Traditional: Cuando El Rey Nimrod
• Rapaport (Israel): Y’rushalayim
• Finkelstein (Israel): Fanfare from Liberation Suite

Arrangements for Bowfire

• Aram Khachaturian (Armenia): Sabre Dance

Arrangements and transcriptions for Organized Rhythm

• Camille Saint-Saens (France): Aquarium, Fossiles

Arrangements for Ryan Star:

• We Might Fall, Losing Your Memory, Famous Love

Discography

as leader (composer / performer / arranger):

• 2016 - "Datuna: Portrait of America" official soundtrack (Kapustnik Records)
• 2015 - "Finding Babel" official soundtrack (Kapustnik Records)
• 2014 - "No Refund on Flowers" with Ljova and the Kontraband (Kapustnik Records)
• 2012 - "Melting River" (Kapustnik Records) - issued as a download in 2012, vinyl with bonus tracks, 2014
• 2011 – "Lost in Kino" with Romashka, Wu Man, Tall Tall Trees, Kálmán Balogh and others (Kapustnik Records)
• 2008 – "Mnemosyne" with Ljova and the Kontraband, guests Frank London, Uli Geissendoerfer, William Schimmel, Alon Yavnai and Marcus Rojas (Kapustnik Records)
• 2006 – "Vjola: World on Four Strings" (Kapustnik Records) - reissued in 2011.

as composer:

• 2016 - duo Jalal: "Shadow & Light" (Bridge Records) - includes "Shadow & Light"
• 2013 - Brooklyn Rider: "A Walking Fire" (Mercury Classics) - includes "Culai" and "Budget Bulgar"
• 2012 - Spark: "Folk Tunes" (Deutsche Grammophon) - includes "Budget Bulgar" and "Old Lautar"
• 2011 - Tim Fain and Pei-Yao Wang: "River of Light" (Naxos) - includes "Sicilienne"
• 2011 - Julia Kogan: "Troika" (Rideau Rouge Records) - includes "The Rain has Flown"
• 2011 - Keve Wilson: "Pure Imagination" (Composers Concordance Recordings / Naxos) - includes "Plume"
• 2010 - Spark: "Downtown Illusions" (ARS Produktion) - includes "Tango Heavy"
• 2009 - The Knights & Jan Vogler: "Experience: Live from New York" (Sony Classical) - includes "Garmoshka"
• 2008 - Brooklyn Rider: "Passport" (In a Circle Records) - includes "Plume" and "Crosstown"
• 2003 - Soheil Nasseri: "Soheil Nasseri plays Yedidia, Zhurbin & Zyman" (21st Century Classical) - includes "Sicilienne"

as arranger:

• 2016 - Silk Road Ensemble: "Sing Me Home" (Sony Classical) - arrangement of "Green" (Vincent's Tune) by Wu Man
• 2014 - Kronos Quartet: "A Thousand Thoughts" (Nonesuch) - transcription of "A Thousand Thoughts"
• 2011 - Alondra de la Parra, Natalia Lafourcade, Ely Guerra Denise Gutiérrez: "Travieso Carmesí" (Sony Classical) -- all arrangements
• 2010 - Alondra de la Parra: "Mi Alma Mexicana" (Sony Classical) - arrangement of "Sobre las Olas"
• 2009 - Osvaldo Golijov: "Tetro" (Sony Classical) - arrangements
• 2009 - The Knights and Jan Vogler: "Experience: Live from New York" (Sony Classical) - all arrangements, except Hendrix
• 2009 - Kronos Quartet: "Floodplain" (Nonesuch) - arrangement of "Oh Mother, the Handsome Man Tortures Me"
• 2008 - Brooklyn Rider and Kayhan Kalhor: "Silent City" (World Village) - arrangements of "Silent City" and "Parvaz"
• 2008 - Jan Vogler and friends: "Tango" (Sony Classical) - arrangement of "Libertango" by Astor Piazzolla
• 2009 - Osvaldo Golijov: "Youth Without Youth" (Sony Classical) - arrangements
• 2007 - Yo-Yo Ma & Silk Road Ensemble: "New Impossibilities" (Sony Classical) - arrangements of music by Kayhan Kalhor & Rabih Abou-Khalil
• 2006 - Matmos: The Rose Has Teeth in the Mouth of a Beast (Matador Records) - arrangement of "Solo Buttons for Joe Meek" with Kronos Quartet
• 2005 - Yo-Yo Ma & Silk Road Ensemble: "Silk Road Journeys: Beyond the Horizon" (Sony Classical) - arrangements of music by Kayhan Kalhor & Sandeep Das
• 2005 - Kronos Quartet & Asha Bhosle: You've Stolen My Heart: Songs from R.D. Burman's Bollywood (Nonesuch) - transcriptions from original sources

as violist:

• 2016 - Sam Sadigursky: "Follow The Stick" (Brooklyn Jazz Underground Records)
• 2016 - Sofia Ribeiro: "Mar Sonoro" (independent)
• 2015 – Petros Klampanis: "Minor Dispute” (Inner Circle Music)
• 2015 – Lara Traum: Crypto Jewish Melodies: Semitic Sounds of Russian Extraction (Independent)
• 2014 – Zing Along Ensemble: "Zing Along Shabes" (Independent)
• 2014 – Banda Magda: “Yerakina” (GroundUP / Ropeadope)
• 2014 – Guy Barash: “Facts about Water” (Innova)
• 2013 – Inna Barmash: “Yiddish Lullabies & Love Songs” (Independent)
• 2013 – Jean Rohe: “Jean Rohe & The End of the World Show” (Laundry Line Records)
• 2013 - Emika: "Dva" (Ninja Tune)
• 2013 - Magda Giannikou / Banda Magda "amour t'es là?" (Edizioni Musicali Magdalini)
• 2013 - Fall on Your Sword: "We Steal Secrets: The Story of WikiLeaks" (Backlot Records / Universal)
• 2012 - Fernando Otero: "Romance" (Soundbrush Records)
• 2012 - Ryan Rumery: "Beyond the Horizon" (Independent)
• 2012 - Fall on Your Sword: "Nobody Walks" (Lakeshore Records)
• 2012 - Ryan Rumery: "Ivanov" (Independent)
• 2012 - Sofia Ribeiro: "Ar" (independent)
• 2011 - Marta Topferova: "The Other Shore" (World Village)
• 2011 - Petros Klampanis: "Contextual" (Inner Circle Music)
• 2011 - Fall on Your Sword: "Another Earth" (Lakeshore Records)
• 2010 - Nina Nastasia: "Outlaster" (Fatcat)
• 2010 - The Knights: "New Worlds" (Sony Classical)
• 2010 - Amy Correia: "You Go Your Way" (Junketboy)
• 2009 - The Knights and Jan Vogler: "Experience: Live from New York" (Sony Classical)
• 2009 - Ronen Landa: "Picturebooks" (Love the Duck)
• 2007 - La Mar Enfortuna - "Conviviencia" (Tzadik)
• 2006 - Marta Topferova: "Flor Nocturna" (World Village)
• 2006 - Assif Tsahar & KJLA Quartet: "Solitude" (Hopscotch Records)
• 2005 - Golijov / Berio: "Ayre" (Deutsche Grammophon)
• 2005 - Angus Martin: "Presqu'ile" (Soluna)
• 2005 - Yo-Yo Ma & Silk Road Ensemble: "Silk Road Journeys: Beyond the Horizon" (Sony Classical)
• 2003 - Heavenly Lullabies "Heavenly Lullabies" (independent)
• 2002 - Assif Tsahar: "Fragments" (Hopscotch Records)
• 2001 - Orchestra of S.E.M. Ensemble / Petr Kotik: "Morton Feldman: The Turfan Fragments" (Dog w/a Bone)
• 2001 - George Davidson: "Allure" (GDP)
• 2001 - George Davidson: "With Love" (GDP)
• 2001 - George Davidson / Eugenio Leon: "Twin Strings II" (GDP)

References

External links

• Ljova's Official Website
• Ljova and the Kontraband, Ljova's performing ensemble.
• He Still Plays Weddings - A Musical Polymath’s Quirky Career, Ljova's profile in the New York Times
• Review of Ljova's debut solo CD in New York Times
• Lev Zhurbin at the Internet Movie Database
• Ljova's page on CCMixter, where you can download raw files of Ljova's performances for remixing.
• Ljova's father, Alexander Zhurbin
• The Kronos Quartet
• The Silk Road Project
• Inna Barmash, Ljova Zhurbin
• Interview with Lev "Ljova" Zhurbin
• Free scores by Lev Zhurbin at the International Music Score Library Project