Vladislav Lavrik
Principal Trumpet
Vladislav Lavrik, one of the most talented musicians of his generation, is recognized for achievements in both classical and jazz performance styles. In 2010 Russian Life magazine called him, “Russia’s finest trumpeter.” In 2000, at the age of 20, Lavrik was appointed Principal Trumpet of the Russian National Orchestra, the youngest person to hold a principal chair in the history of the orchestra.
In addition to his extensive work with the RNO, Lavrik appears frequently as a guest soloist with other orchestras and ensembles, including Yuri Bashmet’s Moscow Soloists and Constantine Orbelian’s Moscow Chamber Orchestra. Under Bashmet in 2008, Lavrik performed Dmitri Shostakovich’s Concerto No. 1 for Piano, Trumpet and String Orchestra with Yefim Bronfman at the Great Hall of the Moscow State Conservatory. Again in 2009, he performed the Shostakovich Concerto with Denis Matsuev and Italian conductor Giancarlo De Lorenzo in Tyumen, Russia.
His performances as featured soloist during the RNO's summer 2002 U.S. tour earned rave reviews for his interpretation of George Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue, arranged by Timofei Dokshitzer.
Lavrik’s mastery of Alexander Arutiunian’s Trumpet Concerto has made him the definitive interpreter of this classic piece in the contemporary repertoire of every trumpeter. In 2008 he performed the Arutiunian Concerto with the U.S. Marine Band in what the conductor announced was the first time a Russian soloist had performed with the ensemble known as “The President’s Own.” Later that year, Lavrik completed a five-state U.S. tour that featured an all-Russian recital program, a series of master classes, and with the Asheville Symphony Orchestra under the baton of Daniel Meyer he performed the Arutiunian Concerto.
Born in 1980 to a family of musicians, Lavrik’s early training included both piano and trumpet. He was twice the winner of the Dokshitzer Competition of Young Trumpeters (1994 and 1996). He won the Classical Heritage International Competition in Moscow (1994), was a prizewinner in Moscow's International Festival of Young Soloists (1997 and 1998) and the Moscow International Trumpet Competition (2000).
Lavrik graduated from the Moscow State Conservatory in 2003, continuing advanced studies and achieving the Master’s Degree in 2005. Since 2006, he has been a Yamaha Artist in Russia and, since 2008, a member of the trumpet faculty of the Moscow State Conservatory. In 2010 he debuted as conductor with the Russian National Orchestra at Tchaikovsky Hall in Moscow and embarked on the conducting course of Moscow’s Gnesin Academy of Music.
Lavrik’s recordings include Dmitri Shostakovich’s Concerto No. 1 for Piano, Trumpet and String Orchestra, conducted by Maxim Shostakovich with pianist Vladimir Krainev, and the forthcoming CD of the Russian Army Band, in which he also serves as trumpet soloist. Among Russian contemporary composers who have entrusted Lavrik with the first performance of their compositions are Tatiana Smirnova, Oleg Oblov and Rashid Kalimullin.
Lavrik is the leader of the RNO Brass Quintet, which tours extensively in Russia and has performed joint concerts with The U. S. Army Brass Quintet in the United States and Russia. He is frequently invited to perform with other ensembles.
A sought-after participant in brass music festivals, Lavrik appeared in the 2005 Europalia International Arts Festival in Brussels, the 2007 Western Carolina University Trumpet Festival in the United States, and as a member of the jury of the 2008 and 2009 U. S. National Trumpet Competitions. In 2011 he will be the only Russian to perform at the International Trumpet Guild’s annual convention in Minneapolis.
Additional photos, concert excerpts and other information can be found at vladlavrik.com.
Press acclaim
Guest soloist for the evening was trumpeter Vladislav Lavrik who displayed accomplished musicianship and virtuosity in the Trumpet Concerto by Alexander Arutiunian. The showy cadenza written by the late Timofei Dokshizer was played with deceptive ease. Mr. Lavrik gave a sparkling sheen to his playing which kept the performance vivid.
The horn of Vlad Lavrik was pure, sonorous and soaring. George Gershwin ["Rhapsody in Blue" arranged by Timofei Dokshitzer for trumpet] sounds much different in this variation but not a bit less thrilling.
On this evening, trumpet player Vladislav Lavrik shone.
After a moment of shock, the audience embraced this decidedly Russian arrangement of the American classic ["Rhapsody in Blue" arranged by Timofei Dokshitzer for trumpet]. Lavrik's triumphant final notes drew a deserved ovation. At intermission, Napa Valley Symphony director Asher Raboy pronounced the rendition "great fun."
Vladislav Lavrik, the trumpet soloist, navigated the opening glissando with great panache. This "young man with a horn" proved that he would do just fine in any big city. Lavrik has a gorgeous sound, with tasteful use of the wa-wa mute, and displayed the kind of innate musicality that is beyond teaching.
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| With the RNO String Quartet | With the RNO in Nizhny Novgorod |
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| Playing Rachmaninov's Rhapsody on a Theme by Paganini | With Conductor Alexander Sladkovsky |
Hear Vladislav Lavrik
| George Gershwin's Rhapsody in Blue, arranged for trumpet by Timofei Dokschitzer, performed with the Russsian National Orchestra conducted by Carlo Ponti | 7:10 | |
| George Gershwin's Rhapsody in Blue, arranged for trumpet by Timofei Dokschitzer (second version), performed with the Russsian National Orchestra conducted by Carlo Ponti | 6:03 | |
| Sergei Rachmaninov's Romances, performed with the Russian National Orchestra. | 2:00 | |
| Alexander Gedike's Concerto for Trumpet and Orchestra, Op 41, transcribed for trumpet and piano by the author. Performed on September 16, 2008 in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, opening the season of the University of Alabama's Celebrity Concert Series. Pamela Gordon on piano. (review) | 10:19 |