Alumni Spotlight: Alexander Vavilov ’09 GD
Originally from Ukraine, violist and NEC alumnus Alexander Vavilov ’09 GD has established himself as an active and versatile voice in the Boston area. In addition to regular chamber and orchestral appearances at top venues such as Boston Symphony Hall, Carnegie Hall, and Jordan Hall, Alexander can be most frequently heard playing chamber music with Sheffield Chamber Players, a group he co-founded in 2014 and helped grow into a vibrant and unique organization. Alexander can be heard performing with the Grammy Award-winning BMOP, Odyssey Opera, Boston Ballet, Boston Pops, and Portland Symphony.
Alexander’s ample and diverse performance experience fuels his passion for teaching. A dedicated pedagogue, Alexander currently maintains a sizable studio at the Winchester Community Music School, where he has been on faculty since 2009.
Why did you choose NEC?
I admired Kim Kashkashian’s playing and teaching for many years and the opportunity to study with her drew me to NEC. Additionally, the prestige of NEC as one of the top schools in the nation for string players held a lot of appeal to me. I knew that at NEC I would encounter some of the most inspiring peers one can wish for as a musician. An environment like that is a dream come true!
What are some of your favorite memories from your time at NEC?
Performing in Jordan Hall with the Borromeo Quartet as the winner of their guest artist award was an honor and a privilege. Working with these consummate musicians taught me a lot about playing chamber music, and especially that of Brahms.
Also, performing Paul Hindemith’s Kammermusik No. 5 from memory at Kim Kashkashian’s Hindemith-themed studio performance series was thrilling! The viola part is written in the best traditions of the Baroque concerto grosso, meaning that it only stops at the double bar. Performing it felt like surfing one exciting tsunami wave after another, a deeply rewarding and memorable experience.
Share a story about one of your favorite faculty or studio instructors.
Kim taught me many influential and beautiful things connected to the way one might ‘listen.’ I still circle back to these inspiring and specific lessons in my practice today. For example, most of us were taught to tune in to the vibration of the sound box of the instrument. However, she would sometimes tell me to listen and feel the vibration of the “superficial” elements on top of the instrument - the fingerboard, the tailpiece, the scroll. This worked both quickly and inexplicably!
Even more memorable, Kim once advised me to put a flower in the corner of the practice room and play for it in such a way that it could never wilt. And I actually did that. I went to the store and bought the most beautiful rose I could find. I put it in a cup with water and kept it in my locker, taking it out for a daily serenade. Of course it eventually wilted, but I would like to believe that it lived a little longer because of my playing.
What have you been up to since graduating from NEC? What projects have you been working on?
Since the start of the Russian invasion of Ukraine I have also spearheaded the Relief Fund for Ukrainian Musicians, initiated at the Lisa Batiashvili Foundation. Since the launch, the foundation has provided direct financial relief to over 180 Ukrainian musicians, primarily from the areas that suffered the most devastation, such as Mariupol, Kharkiv, and the Eastern regions. The Relief Fund provides grants directly to Ukrainian musicians, many of whom are affiliated with Ukraine's top orchestras, ensembles and conservatories. The fund has now supported the entire membership of the Mariupol Philharmonic. The program reaches musicians who have escaped Ukraine's borders as well as those who remain in their war-ravaged homeland.
In 2021, I launched an experimental cross-genre music/visual arts collaborative project "Soundscape Visions," which explores the intersection between visual arts and music. This most often takes the form of improvised soundscapes performed live to an image series or to a visual artist working in real time.
In addition to freelancing and teaching in the Boston area, I co-founded Sheffield Chamber Players in 2014, a group devoted to bringing chamber music into intimate performance environments. This group was founded with the inspiration from the great salons of the XIXth century and a deep conviction that chamber music truly belongs in intimate settings, such as private homes, where there are no barriers between the musicians and the audience—the discourse is flowing both ways.
Check out his recent interview with Jeremy Siegel on GBH News' Morning Edition, which aired December 20, 2022.
If you have questions regarding the fund, you can email Alexander at [email protected].
Learn more about Alexander
Current Job: Violist, Co-Artistic Director & Co-Founder of Sheffield Chamber Players; Coordinator at Relief Fund for Ukrainian Musicians; Founder of Soundscape Visions; Faculty at WCMS
Major: Viola Performance
Degree: Graduate Diploma
Class Year: 2009
Website: alexandervavilov.com
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