9/6/2015

NikolaiBadinskiBiographyUniversalEdition

UniversalEditionNikolaiBadinskiBiography

Biography
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NikolaiBadinski
Biography

ProminentpersonalitiesoftheinternationalmusiclifehaveexpressedgreatadmirationforNikolaiBadinskismusic.Gyrgy
Ligeticharacterizesitasveryrefined,veryhighlyratedinitsquality.ThemusicalPopeH.H.Stuckenschmidtpraisedthe
unmistakablepersonallanguageofhismusicintheFrankfurterAllgemeineZeitungandwrotethatoneiscaptivateduntilthe
end.
ThenotablemusicologistCarlDahlhaushaswrittenthatBadinskicombinesawellfoundedandmanysidedmusicaleducation
withanacutesenseforcontemporarytendenciesthereisabalancebetweentheinclinationtowardstheexperimentalandan
aestheticconsciencededicatedtostructuralunity.
FromacomposerportraitbyAndreasGbelonkulturradiobyrbb:NikolaiBadinskiisanastutecomposerofmasterly
craftsmanshipandofbroadknowledge.Hisrepertoireofcompositionaltechniquesisrich[...]Hecomposeswithanown,
individualvoice

NikolaiBadinskiwasborninSofia,Bulgaria,on19December1937,andstartedtotakeviolinlessonsattheageoffive.His
attemptsatcompositionalsodatefromanearlyage(includinganoperainwhichtheorchestraconsistsexclusivelyofviolinsand
percussion).In1961,hecompletedtheAcademyofMusic,Sofia.HelivedinEastBerlinfrom1962to1976,whereheattended
aMasterclassforCompositionattheAcademyofArts(196770).HealsotookMasterclassesattheAccademiaMusicale,Siena,
Italyin1975and1976.BadinskifoundedanddirectedtheChamberEnsembleG.F.HndelandaStringQuartetinEast
Germany,andworkedasacomposer,docent,soloist,concertmaster,andspecialadvisorformusicaleducation.
In1976heescapedfromEastBerlintotheWest.HeactivelyparticipatedintheDarmstadtInternationalCoursesforNewMusic
(workingwithLigeti,Halffter,Stockhausen,XenakisandKagel),severalofhiscompositionswereperformedthere.Hehasbeen
guestprofessorattheUniversitiesofStockholmandCopenhagen,andlecturedinseveralEuropeancountries.Hewasavisiting
professorinStanfordUniversity,USA.Formanyyearshehasworkedintensivelywithvariousgroups,seekingnewwaysto
activatemusiclisteners.HeisamemberoftheInternationalSocietyforContemporaryMusic(ISCM),theGermanComposers
Union,theInternationalHndelSociety,theInternationalRichardWagnerUnionand,since1983,theEuropeanAcademyof
Arts,SciencesandHumanitiesinParis.HeiscofounderoftheInitiativeNeueMusik,Berlin.Performancesofhisworksand
composerportraitsofhimhavebeenbroadcastthroughoutEurope,theUSAandAsia.Someofhisworkshavebeenperformed
byensemblessuchastheBerlinPhilharmonicOrchestra,theStaatskapelleBerlin,theSymphonyOrchestraoftheSdwestfunk
inBadenBaden,theArdittiStringQuartetLondon,thePhilharmonicOctetBerlin,theOrchestraoftheDeutscheOperBerlin,
theEnsembleoftheStaatskapelleDresden,theChoirofRadioFrance,theNederlandVocaalEnsembleinHilversum,andthe
CamerataAcademicaSalzburg.Hehasalsowrittenacademicarticles,focusingoncontemporarymusic.
Badinskiusesarichlyvariedpaletteofcompositionaldevicesinhismusic,withoutassociatinghimselfwithanyparticularschool,
methodortrendincomposition.HeoftenstylisesorchangeselementsormicroelementsfromBulgarianandotherBalkanfolk
musicfromvarioushistoricalstrata,aswellasfromsacredmusic,describingfolkmusicasarichsourceforresearchand
inspiration.Thecomposersmusicalaestheticsandcreativeworkhisoeuvrecomprisesmorethan200worksalsoembrace
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NikolaiBadinskiBiographyUniversalEdition

newsoundpossibilitiesandtheirapperception,asexemplifiedinhiselectroacousticworkH2OMusic.Amonghiscompositions
areballets,threeviolinconcertos,aconcertoforviolaandorchestra,aconcertoforharpsichord,threestringquartets,achamber
musicfordifferentgroupsaswellasforsoloinstruments,andexperimentalmusic.
Honoursandprizesincludefirstplacesatthe28thInternationalCompetitionforComposition,Viotti,1977,attheInternational
CompetitionforComposers,Stockhausen,Italy1978andatthe29thInternationalCompetitionforComposers,Viotti,1978.He
receivedtheInternationalTriestePrizeforSymphonicMusicin1979,thePrixduRome(VillaMassimo)in1979/80,andthePrix
deParisin1981.
Since1977heisafreelancecontributortotheBBC,London.
InMarch2014,theXiamenUniversitywhich,withmorethan40.000students,isoneofChinasmostimportantuniversities
andofinternationalrenowninvitedNikolaiBadinskitopresenthismusicandgivelecturesintheframeoftheprestigious
NanqiangLecturesofExcellence.Furthermore,thecomposerwashonouredwiththebadgeofhonouroftheXiamenUniversity.
Inthesamemonth,NikolaiBadinskiwasinvitedbytheConservatoryShanghaitopresentandgivetalksonhismusic.
PaintersinseveralcountriesforinstanceJ.C.Friedrich,EnzoSantini,I.Pavlovhavepaintedpicturesbasedonhismusic,art
filmswerecreatedpresentingthecomposerandhismusic.NumerousCDsandLPsofhismusichavebeenreleased.
Furthermore,hisbookBetweenthesounds(ZwischendenKlngen)hasbeenpublishedinGermanybyPfau.

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