Ukrainian composer, pianist, teacher. Honored Artist of Ukraine (1993), People's Artist of Ukraine (2009).
Biography.
Volodymyr Mykhailovych Ptushkin was born on January 29, 1949 in Luhansk, Ukrainian SSR, in the family of violinist and teacher Mykhailo Markovych Tsukerman.
He studied at the Kharkiv Institute of Arts (now the I. P. Kotlyarevsky Kharkiv National University of Arts). In 1972, he graduated from the piano faculty (class of Associate Professor R. Papkova), and then, in 1973, from the composition faculty (class of Professor D. Klebanov). While studying, he began working as a concertmaster at the Kharkiv Institute of Arts.
In 1972, he began working as the head of the musical department of the Kharkiv Pushkin Drama Theater (now the Kharkiv Academic Drama Theater). In parallel, since 1978, he has worked as a composition teacher at the Children's Music School No. 10.
In 1993, V. Ptushkin was awarded the title of Honored Artist of Ukraine, in 1997 and 2011 he became a laureate of the All-Ukrainian V. Kosenko Competition, and in 1998 he was a laureate of the I. Slatin Municipal Prize. In 2003, V. Ptushkin took part in the International Composition Competition dedicated to the 300th anniversary of St. Petersburg and became its laureate. He is a member of the National Union of Composers of Ukraine.
The work of Vladimir Mikhailovich Ptushkin is known far beyond the borders of his native city and country. His works have been recognized by various audiences over the years and cover almost all musical genres.
These include the well-known opera Strange Wonders (premiered in Dnipro), a large number of instrumental concertos, symphonies, chamber and choral works, cantatas and vocal cycles based on poetry: Dante, Akhmatova, Pushkin, Chichibabin, and Renaissance poets.
His music for children is also known to the general public: "Wonderful Miracles" (based on the fairy tale by A. Pushkin, 1986), children's musicals - "The Soldier and Nastenka" (1980), "Come on, Gulliver" (1982), "The Adventures of Barteshi" (1983), "The Wooden King" (1993), etc.
Ptushkin is known for his musical compositions for theater performances. His music accompanied more than 30 performances at the Kharkiv Academic Drama Theater. Among them are the play "The Last Victim" by A. Ostrovsky, "Macbeth" by W. Shakespeare, "The Last Summer" by K. Simonov and many others.
Ptushkin's music, due to its simplicity and relative modernity of style, humanity of intonations, has found a second life in the form of independent contemporary works. These are the piano ensemble suites "A Burgher in the Nobility," "The Windsor Pranksters," "The Earthly and the Sublime," the romance "Keep Me, My Talisman," and many other works.
V. Ptushkin participated in the performance of his works in many concerts in different cities of the country and abroad. He performed a lot as a solo pianist and concertmaster. In his creative work, a significant place is occupied by piano works, which are successfully performed in concerts, at various international competitions such as the Vladimir Krainev Competition in Kharkiv, the Horowitz Competition in Kyiv, the Shostakovich Competition in Moscow, etc.
Ptushkin communicated with artists from many countries. The composer's music is known in Russia, Poland, Serbia, France, the USA, Germany, Switzerland, Macedonia, Hungary, and in many cities of Ukraine.
V. Ptushkin is the author of a spiritual cantata based on the Latin canonical text in the Vatican. Many of Ptushkin's works are included in the collection of the National Radio of Ukraine.
A special place in his work is occupied by music written for more than 40 performances of drama theaters in Kharkiv, Moscow, Tbilisi, Chernihiv, and Uzhhorod.
He gave recitals at the Lysenko Column Hall, the National Philharmonic of Ukraine, the Kharkiv National Academic Opera and Ballet Theater named after M. Lysenko, and other concert halls in Ukraine.
He was in a constant creative search, had his own achievements in the field of melodic and harmonic harmonies, which largely created his individual style.
He headed the Department of Composition at the I. P. Kotliarevsky Kharkiv National University of Arts.
