Myroslav Skoryk

Myroslav Skoryk (Ukrainian: Мирослав Михайлович Скорик, 13 July 1938 – 1 June 2020[1][2]) was a Ukrainian composer and teacher. His music is contemporary in style and contains idioms from diverse sources including German, Welsh, English, and Eastern European artistic traditions.

Myroslav Mihaylovich Skoryk
Born(1938-07-13)13 July 1938
Lwów, Lwów Voivodeship, Polish Republic (now Lviv, Ukraine)
Died1 June 2020(2020-06-01) (aged 81)
Kyiv, Ukraine
Other namesМирослав Михайлович Скорик
CitizenshipSoviet Union → Ukrainian, Australian
Occupationcomposer
Spouse(s)Kathryn
Awards

Skoryk was awarded the titles People's Artist of Ukraine and Hero of Ukraine.[1]

Early life

Myroslav Skoryk was born in Lviv, Ukraine, then a part of Poland (Lwów). His parents were both educated in Austria at the University of Vienna and subsequently became educators. His father was a historian and an ethnographer, while his mother was a chemist. Although his parents did not have special musical training, his mother played piano and his father played the violin. Skoryk was exposed to music in the household from an early age. No less important was the fact that in his family was a well-known diva of the 20th century – Skoryk's great aunt was the Ukrainian soprano Solomiya Krushelnytska.[2]

In 1947 Skoryk's family were deported to Siberia, where Myroslav grew up: they did not return to Lviv until 1955.[3][2]

Graduate studies and early works

Between 1955 and 1960 Skoryk studied at the Lviv Conservatory,[3] and there he received training in composition and theory. Skoryk states: "My teachers were well-known composers and educators, including Stanislav Liudkevych, a graduate of the Vienna Conservatory, Roman Simovych a graduate from the Prague Conservatory in 1933, and Adam Soltys (1890-1968), a graduate of the Berlin Conservatory." Skoryk’s final exam piece was a Cantata 'Vesna' (Spring), on verses of Ivan Franko for soloists, mixed choir and symphonic orchestra. Skoryk also wrote some piano music during this time, including a cycle of piano pieces 'V Karpatakh' ('In the Carpathian Mountains).

In 1960, Skoryk enrolled in the postgraduate research program at the Moscow Conservatory where he studied with the composer Dmitri Kabalevsky.[3] During this time, Skoryk composed music in a vast array of styles: symphonic, chamber, and vocal. Some works from this period include the 'Suite in D Major for Strings', 'Sonata No. 1 for Violin and Piano', and 'Partita No. 1 for Strings' which soon became a popular piece. In addition, Skoryk also wrote several piano works such as the 'Variations', 'Blues', and the 'Burlesque which gained much popularity and has been widely performed throughout concert halls around the world. His 'Burlesque' came to be a required work in piano competitions, most notably the Vladimir Horowitz Piano Competition in Kiev, Ukraine, and as pedagogical practice.

Teaching career

Skoryk graduated from the Moscow Conservatory in 1964 and took a teaching job at the Lviv Conservatory where he remained until 1966. Shortly after, he accepted a position at the Kiev Conservatory[3] where he said, "Along with teaching composition classes, I also lectured theory classes that focused on contemporary harmony techniques." The subject of Skoryk’s dissertation, which he completed in 1964, concentrated on Prokofiev’s music, its title reads "Osoblyvosti ladu muzyky S. Prokofieva" (The Model System of Prokofiev). Skoryk also wrote a book, "Struktura i vyrazhalna pryroda akordyky v muzitsi XX stolittia" (The Structural Aspects of Chords in 20th Century Music) (Kiev, 1983 Musical Ukraine Publishing House) as well as numerous articles. Notable students include the composers Osvaldas Balakauskas, Ivan Karabyts and Yevhen Stankovych,[3] as well as Hanna Havrylets' and Bohdana Frolyak.

In 1996 Skoryk lived for a time with his family in Australia and received Australian citizenship, but later he returned to live in Ukraine.

In April 2011 Skoryk was appointed artistic director of Kyiv Opera, a position he held until 2016.[1] He also taught at the Lviv and Kyiv conservatory.[1]

Death

Skoryk died on 1 June 2020.[1]

Works

Myroslav Skoryk was a composer, pianist and conductor. Many works by Skoryk have been performed by leading ensembles and soloists including Leontovych Quartet, Oleh Krysa, Volodymyr Vynnytsky, Oleg Chmyr, Mykola Suk, Victor Markiw, and Alexander Slobodyanik.

Victor Markiw has written the first English language book on the composer titled The Life and Solo Piano Works of the Ukrainian Composer Myroslav Skoryk, published in 2010 by the Edwin Mellen Press.[4]

Partial list of works
  • Melody in A minor (1982)
  • Sonata for Piano (1958)
  • String Quartet in F-Major (1959)
  • In The Carpathians –cycle for piano (1959)
  • Vesna (Spring) – Cantata for soloists, choir, and symphony orchestra on verses by Taras Shevchenko (1960)
  • Symphonic Poem Waltz – (1960)
  • Suite for String Orchestra – (1961)
  • Rondo for piano – (1962)
  • 4 songs for soprano and symphony orchestra on verses by Taras Shevchenko (1962)
  • Sonata No. 1 for Violin and Piano (1963)
  • Symphonic Poem Stronger than Death (1963)
  • Cantata for Soloists, Choir and Symphonic Orchestra (1964)
  • Burlesque for piano (1964)
  • Piano Variations (1961)
  • Paraphrase on themes from Puccini's opera Madame Butterfly for piano
  • 6 jazz pieces for piano
  • Three Extravagant Dances for piano 4-Hands[5]
  • Blues for piano (1964)
  • Popular Pieces on Words by Ukrainian Lyricists (1964)
  • Hutsul Triptych for Symphony Orchestra (1965)
  • From the Children’s Album – 5 Pieces for piano (1965)
  • Partita No. 1 for String Orchestra (1966)
  • Stonemason -Poem Ballade on verses by Ivan Franko (1967)
  • Recitative and Rondo for Violin, Cello and Piano (1968)
  • Violin Concerto No. 1 (1969)
  • Partita No. 2 for Chamber Orchestra (1970)
  • Carpathian Concerto for Large Orchestra (1972)
  • Stone Guset Music for Theatre Spectacle -after Lesyia Ukrainka (1973)
  • 3 Fantasies for 16th Century Lute Tablature (transcribed for chamber orchestra) (1973)
  • Partita No. 3 for String Orchestra (String Quartet version) (1974)
  • Partita No. 4 for Symphony Orchestra (1974)
  • Partita No. 5 for piano (1975)
  • Piano Concerto No. 1 (Youth Concerto) (1977)
  • Three Wedding Songs for voice with Symphonic Orchestra (1978)
  • Toccata for piano (1978)
  • Harlequin Songs musical tale for children (1978)
  • Music for Animated Films (1978)
  • Music for Film High Mountain Pass (1978)
  • Piano Concerto No. 2 (1982)
  • Concerto for Violin and Orchestra (1983)
  • Preludes and Fugues for piano (1986-1989)
  • Violin Concerto No. 2 (1989)
  • Sonata No. 2 for Violin and Piano (1990)
  • Ballet Solomiya Krutchelnitska (1992)
  • Diptych for String Quartet (version for chamber orchestra) (1993)
  • Fantasy on song themes of Beatles for string orchestra (1993)
  • Symphonic Poem on 60th Anniversary of Ukrainian Holodomor -1932-33 (1993)
  • Symphonic Poem Memory of Motherland dedicated to 100 years of Ukrainian Emigration in USA (1993)
  • A-r-i-a for cello and chamber orchestra (1994)
  • The Seasons 4 miniatures for mixed a cappella choir (1994)
  • Partita No. 6 for String Orchestra (1996)
  • Piano Concerto No. 3 (1996-1997)
  • Album Leaf for String Orchestra (1997)
  • Partita No. 7 for String Quartet (1999)
  • Psalm No. 50 for Soprano and Choir (1999)
  • Spiritual Requiem (1999)
  • Violin Concerto No. 3 (2001)
  • Opera Moses on poems by Ivan Franko (2001)
  • Mass (2001)
  • Violin Concerto No. 4 (2002)
  • Violin Concerto No. 5 (2004)
  • Ballade “Dniper” River on motives of Terrible Revenge by T. Gogol for baritone (2004)
  • Carpathian Rhapsody for violin and piano (2004)
  • Cantata-Poem Hamalia on verses by Taras Shevchenko (2005)
  • Liturgy (St. John Chrysostom) – (2005)
  • Psalm No. 38 for woman’s a capella Choir (2005)
  • Psalm No. 12 for men’s a cappella choir (2005)
  • Psalm No. 53 for mixed choir a capella (2005)
  • Violin Concerto No. 6 (2009)
  • Violin Concerto No. 7 (2011)
  • Violin Concerto No. 8 ‘Allusion to Chopin’ (2011)
  • Violin Concerto No. 9 (2014)
  • Violin Concerto No. 10(2019)

Awards

References
Notes
  1. Ukrainian composer Myroslav Skoryk has died Помер український композитор Мирослав Скорик, Ukrayinska Pravda (1 June 2020) (in Ukrainian)
  2. The famous composer Myroslav Skoryk died Помер відомий композитор Мирослав Скорик, Radio Svoboda (1 June 2020) (in Ukrainian)
  3. Baley, (n.d.)
  4. Markiw, Victor Radoslav (Jun 2, 2010). "The Life and Solo Piano Works of the Ukrainian Composer Myroslav Skoryk". Edwin Mellen Press. Retrieved Jun 2, 2020 – via Open WorldCat.
  5. "Myroslav Skoryk -Three Extravagant Dances for Four Hands, Victor Markiw". YouTube. 2013-03-08. Retrieved 2020-06-02.
Sources
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