Vadim Neselovskyi

V a d i m N e s e l o v s k y i grew up in Odessa, Ukraine then moved with his family to Dortmund, Germany when he was 17 years old. He began studying classical music at early age, and became interested in jazz in his teenage years. Shortly after arriving in Germany, he established himself in the local jazz scene, taking part in the Duesseldorf Jazz Rally and the Munich Jazzfest. After a few years, he decided to move to USA to further study at Berklee College of Music, graduating in 2004. In meantime, he has performed at various times with pianist Gonzalo Rubalcaba (in duet), Tiger Okoshi and Teri Lynn Carrington.

"More than just a strong pianist, Neselovskyi is a composer who blends form and freedom in new ways. His two compositions resemble mini-suites—taut arrangements that nevertheless provide a challenging foundation for improvisation. He also has a keen ear for reharmonization; his lightly swinging arrangement of “My Romance” is completely fresh. The changes beneath the familiar melody retain the lyricism of the original but ultimately go in a completely different direction.”
J o h n K e l m a n, A l l A b o u t J a z z

In December 2003, 5-time Grammy winner Gary Burton, after visiting one of Vadim’s shows, invited Vadim to be the pianist for a recording project that was to be produced by himself and guitarist Pat Metheny. Out of the eight selections on the recorded album, Vadim composed three.

“…Next came Vadim Neselovskyi, who knocked on my door one day wanting to show me some of his music. I was really intrigued with what he was doing and I went to see his group at a local club. Vadim is real find. He grew up in Ukraine, moved with his family to Germany in his late teens, and came to the USA in 2001.He has really come into his own as a pianist and is an exeptional composer.”
G a r y B u r t o n, from the liner notes to The CD “Next Generation“, Concord Jazz CCD-2277-2

After having graduated from Berklee in May 2004, Vadim joined Gary Burton’s new quintet, “Generations”. The band appeared live for the first time at the Blue Note Jazz Club in New York City, then moved on to play at the Regattabar in Boston, Jazz Alley in Seattle, Folly Theater in Kansas, and the Jazz Showcase in Chicago.

"Pianist Vadim Neselovskyi eagerly embraced the grandiosity that Burton had so carefully avoided. He managed to suggest Chopin, Debussy, Schubert in "Early" and "Wheatland" while developing simple phrases into expansive solo forms with piano-pounding climaxes. "
J o h n L i t w e i l e r, C h i c a g o S u n-T i m e s

In November 2004, “Generations” went on to record a CD for Concord Records. The CD, which features two compositions and two arrangements by Vadim, was released worldwide in April 2005, and since then has repeatedly achieved #1 on several airplay charts in the US.

“It is pianist, Vadim Neselovskyi, though, who makes the most interesting listening. By far the most experimental of the group, his solos are passionate and brilliantly improvised. And through his background of classical training, he has developed exceptional composition skills. Beautifully constructed to showcase Burton’s talents, ‘Prelude for Vibes’ is a great opening track, whilst ‘Get Up and Go’ demonstrates the pianist’s harmonic knowledge.”
R o b e r t G i b s o n, M u s i c w e b -i n t e r n a t i o n a l

In years 2004-2006 Vadim has toured with Gary Burton’s “Generations“, appearing at almost all the major jazz clubs and festivals around US, Europe and Japan.

“Vibist Gary Burton's Generations band showcased extraordinary playing by a pair of rising players, 17-year-old guitarist Julian Lage and 26-year-old Ukrainian pianist Vadim Neselovskyi.”
D o n H e c k m a n,L o s A n g e l e s T i m e s

“It quickly became evident that Vadim Neselovskyi, the group’s Ukrainian pianist, keeps his colleagues, and especially Burton, in a state of delighted awe. He introduced the second piece with a cadenza right out of the 19th-Century classical virtuoso tradition and then segued into jazz pyrotechnics that made me think of Dr. J soaring to the basket in his prime. …it seemed that Neselovskyi might hijack the concert…”
D a n R o t t e n b e r g , B r o a d S t r e e t R e v i e w , Philadelphia January 27, 2006

In October 2005 Vadim moved to NYC and is quickly gaining reputation as one of the most important new voices on the world’s most vibrant music scene. In the meantime, he has performed/recorded with Dave Samuels, Karrin Allisson, George Garzone and Reach Perry among others. In early 2006, he was commissioned to be a composer/ arranger for an upcoming recording project by Richard Galliano, Gary Burton, James Genus and Clarence Penn for CAMJAZZ.

The Deutsche Phono-Akademie announced the 2006 winners of the
E C H O - K l a s s i k p r i z e s, Germany's top awards for the classical recording industry. The MDG release "Spirito Latino" wich features Vadim's composition "San Felio" won the"Classic without boundaries" Award.

vadim neselovskyi