Critics have praised NY-based pianist/composer Vadim Neselovskyi

Critics have praised NY-based pianist/composer Vadim Neselovskyi for “extraordinary playing” (Los Angeles Times), “exceptional composition skills” (musicweb-international.com) and “feathery touch” (New York Times). While mostly known as one of the key members of multiple GRAMMY® winner Gary Burton’s Quintet, and as a featured pianist and composer on Burton’s Concord Records release “Next Generation,” Vadim is rapidly gaining reputation as a band leader, creating a “thrilling blend of classical and jazz” (jazzreview.com)

Vadim grew up in Odessa, Ukraine, where he was the youngest student to be accepted into the famous Odessa Conservatory, and then moved to Dortmund, Germany when he was 17 years old. Shortly after arriving in Germany, he established himself on the local jazz scene, taking part in the Dusseldorf Jazz Rally and Leipzig Jazz Days. After a few years he moved to the USA to further his studies at Berklee College of Music, where he was discovered by Gary Burton. 

Before graduating from Berklee Vadim was asked to play and compose for a Berklee’s promotional recording produced by Pat Metheny. Four weeks after graduation he was playing with Gary Burton at the Blue Note in New York. Since June 2004 Vadim has been consistently touring the US, Europe and Japan in Gary Burton’s quintet. 

Besides working actively as a sideman, Vadim is developing a name for himself as a solo artist. His CD “Spring Song,” that features two charismatic singers Vera Westera(NL) and Amanda Baisinger (US), received enthusiastic reviews.

“The four musicians around Neselovskyi, Brazilian Pedro Ito (drums,percussion), Russian Oleg Osenkov on bass, American Eric Bloom (trumpet) and heart-breaking voice of Amanda Baisinger (also USA) offer a skillful, multifaceted – accessible, challenging yet entertaining mixture of jazz, classical and world music. This is jazz, how it should be – sometimes neck-breaking angular, sometimes wonderfully melodic and always supported by the grooving bass…the feminine voice of Amanda Baisinger often reaches whirling heights and speeds. Everything fits to the sparkling piano sound of Neselovskyi.” (www.cdkritik.de)

Vadim’s work has been recognized with a number of recent awards. Most recently, in September 2010 he was named a Grand Prize Winner of the Thelonious Monk International Jazz Composers Competition. Vadim performed the winning composition, Grust (Sadness) with his trio at the Kennedy Center on Ocotober 4, 2010 as part of the Gala Concert, also featuring Herbie Hancock, Kurt Elling and Dianne Reeves. President Obama and Mrs. Michelle Obama served as Honorary Chairs of the event. 

“Garnering the $10,000 prize for his composition "Grust," which means ‘sadness' in Russian, Neselovskyi impressed with both the depth of his composition and a heartrending performance that stood out as an unquestionable highlight of the night.” (All About Jazz)

Just two weeks after the Prize Award Ceremony in Washington DC Vadim received another Award – Second Grand Prix (7.000 Euro) at the 5th Martial Solal International Jazz Piano Competition in Paris, France.