Aleksey Semenenko
The refined, impassioned and commanding playing of Ukrainian violinist Aleksey Semenenko identifies him as inheritor of the great Odessa violin tradition and earnt him places on both the BBC New Generation Artists scheme and Young Concert Artists in New York, bringing him to the attention of audiences across Europe and the US.
Semenenko has given recitals at Snape Maltings, Wigmore Hall, Kennedy Center and Alice Tully Hall, and performed concertos with orchestras including BBC National Orchestra of Wales, BBC Philharmonic, Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin, Seattle Symphony, Orchestra of St Luke’s, National Orchestra of Belgium, Ulster Orchestra, Kyiv Symphony and Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra. His festival performances include invitations at the Hay, Cheltenham, Chipping Campden and Edinburgh festivals.
Recent highlights include a UK tour with National Symphony Orchestra of Ukraine, the televised return of BBC Radio 3’s ‘Friday Night is Music Night’ with BBC Concert Orchestra, and concerts and recordings with BBC Philharmonic, Ulster Orchestra and Szczecin Philharmonic. This season Semenenko makes his Canadian debut at Bourgie Hall, and gives concerts with Kyiv Symphony at Berlin Philharmonie, and with Kuopio Symphony.
The most recent addition to Semenenko’s discography is his album ‘Crossroads’ on BIS, with pianist Artem Belogurov, featuring sonatas by Previn, Schemmer and Gay. The launch of the album was marked by a Wigmore Hall recital in which the duo performed a selection of American works.
Semenenko began his violin studies at the age of six with Zoya Mertsalova at Stolyarsky School, making his solo debut with orchestra only a year later with Odessa Philharmonic. He completed his studies with Zakhar Bron and Harald Schoneweg at Cologne’s Hochschule für Musik and was a prize winner in the 2015 Queen Elizabeth Violin Competition.
Alongside his performing career, Semenenko is Violin Professor at the Folkwang Universität der Künste in Essen, Germany, and Co-organiser and Artistic Director of the Odesa International Violin Competition.
‘A powerful technique, rich tone and passionate approach. There was a fluidity and warmth to his playing throughout the program’
New York Times