Alexander Shchetynsky is a Ukrainian composer. Born on 22 June 1960 in Kharkiv, in the Ukrainian SSR of the Soviet Union. His work list includes compositions in various forms ranging from solo instrumental to orchestral, choral pieces and operas.
First Prize at the International Sacred Music Competition, Fribourg, Switzerland,
Second Prize at the International Witold Lutosłavski Competition, Poland,
Second Prize at the International Henri Dutilleux Competition, Saint-Pierre-des-Corps, France,
Third Prize at the International Gustav Mahler Competition, Klagenfurt, Austria,
Russian National Theatrical Prize, Gold Mask, in the category innovation.
Second Prize at the International Composition Prize Luxembourg 2006, Luxembourg
Style
At the age of about 30, he developed his personal post-serial style based on combination of quasi-serial procedures and special attention to attractiveness of sound material and to melody as a source of expression. Another fundamental feature of his music is its rhythmic, structural and formal flexibility, which provokes feeling of "self-development" of initial micro-thematic patterns. The idea of modern spirituality became an impulse for many his vocal and instrumental compositions. This is particularly significant in his 3 operas and several choral compositions written recently. Moscow critic Alexey Parin referred to Shchetynsky as "a consequent stickler for avant-garde" and stated that "his spirituality reveals in strict, ascetically beautiful sounds that impress with their hermetism, within the context of up-to-date musical language". Nevertheless, in his newest compositions he moves towards postmodernistic aesthetics utilizing stylistic elements of various epochs. However, he stays apart from eclecticism and aims at finding a new unity in combination of those musical elements that historically never existed next to each other. "His style is essentially that of a structuralist, relying on a synthesis of a variety of modernist techniques and exploring in each piece a particular musical metaphor. This method explains his reliance on pieces with descriptive titles. The influence of an especially eastern European variety of minimalism is also apparent in the carefully worked out relationship between different degrees of sound and silence, the predominance of soft dynamics, and in the smallest details and changes in pitch, timbre and rhythm."
Pedagogical activities
From 1982 to 1990 Shchetynsky taught composition at a music school in Kharkiv utilizing the Brainin Teaching Method of music education. From 1991 to 1995 he taught composition, instrumentation, and techniques of contemporary music at the Kharkiv Art Institute. Since 1995, although being a free-lance composer, he regularly lectured on Ukrainian music, gave master classes, and presented own works at international festivals and symposia in Austria, Germany, Macedonia, the Netherlands, Poland, Slovakia, Switzerland, and Ukraine.
Public and management activities
From 1997 to 2005 Shchetynsky was the member of the Art Council of the Festival Contrasts in Lviv – the biggest and most prestigious international contemporary music festival in Ukraine. He was among the organisers of several other contemporary music festivals in Ukraine and Russia, and from 1995 to 2001 ran concert series New Music in Kharkiv. Since 2006 he lives in Kiev.
Music for movies
He wrote the scores for three films which was written, directed and produced by Ihor Podolchak:
