Volodymyr P. Runchak (12 June 1960, Lutsk) is a Ukrainian composer, conductor, and accordionist.
In 1986, he graduated from the Tchaikovsky Kyiv Conservatory as a composer, conductor (class of Prof. M. Gozulov) and accordionist (class of Prof. Rizol). In 1992, 1993, 1995, he attended the Brandenburg Colloquium of New Music in Berlin, led by P. Dietrich, D. Schnebel, K. Huber, F. Globokar, and E. Denisov. Winner of the First Prize of the Republican Accordion Competition (1984). In 1998, he founded the New Music in Ukraine music group, with which he actively works as a conductor, performing contemporary music by Ukrainian and foreign composers.
He is a member of the National Union of Composers of Ukraine. Executive Secretary of the Kyiv City Organisation of the National Union of Composers of Ukraine. His works have been performed at international festivals in the UK, Germany, Croatia, Hungary, Czech Republic, etc. His compositions have been performed at many festivals and concerts of contemporary music in Ukraine and abroad (A-DEvantgarde, Dartstadter Ferien Kurse fuer Neue Musik, Almegia, Muzick Biennale Zagreb, PPianissimo, Grande Festival d'Art Slave), published and recorded in Germany, Italy, and the USA. Among his performers are the orchestras of the London College of Music and the Augsburg Philharmonic, contemporary music ensembles Piano possible, Com-Sonanse Duo, Triolog, Het-Trio, Ensemble fuer Neue Muzik Zurich, Namaste Qartet, Psappha, etc. In addition to Ukraine, his recitals were held at the Hochschule für Musik in Munich and the Paris Conservatory.
In 2005, the Minister of Culture of Poland awarded Runchak with the Polish cultural award L'ordre du merite culturel. In the 2007/2008 and 2010/2011 seasons, he was the Chief Guest Conductor of the Kara Karaev State Chamber Orchestra of Azerbaijan.
In 2021, he performed at the international multicultural festival Ars Teteriv Stage in Zhytomyr.
Art.
Runchak's works combine emotionality with precision of form. He freely uses the latest compositional techniques. As a conductor, he has performed with many orchestras in Ukraine, Russia, Kazakhstan, and France, and has given more than a hundred world and Ukrainian premieres of works by contemporary composers, including the concert series "New Music in Ukraine" (originally called "New Music in Kyiv").
According to the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung newspaper
"V. Runchak has found his own personal balance between stylistic and technological constraints and new freedom. In his works, one can hear the courage of the author's statement, which goes far beyond belonging to any particular school of composing. Purely avant-garde means are only means for him."
According to N. Krechko, the composer focuses on a complex dissonant language, expression of musical expression, innovative techniques related to sound creation, atypical spatial, acoustic and timbre-colouristic means.
Runchak is a prominent representative of Ukrainian musical actionism (along with Serhiy Zazhytko, Serhiy Yarunsky, Carmela Tsepkolenko, Liudmyla Yurina, Ivan Nebesnyi, Danylo Pertsov and Hryhoriy Nemyrovsky). For V. Runchak, instrumental theatre is related to the instrumental theatre of M. Kagel, and, according to researchers, it has become a means of drawing attention to social problems.
List of works
This section needs to be updated. (February 2012)
Chamber opera "Foam"
For orchestra
In memoriam"
Symphony of Lamentations (1985)
"Con mesto sereno (1987)
Chamber symphonies:
No. 1, In memory of Lyatoshynsky (1986)
No. 2, Spiritual Chants (1988)
No. 3 - for flute and orchestra
No. 4 - Semper fidelis, for strings (2011)
forte\piano - Concerto for orchestra without piano (2008)
For solo instruments with orchestra
Concerto for saxophone and orchestra (1987)
1 + 16 + ..., Concerto for violin and strings (1997)
Portrait of Igor Stravinsky for accordion, balalaika and orchestra (2003)
"The Key to the Violin Key", a short practical experience for violin and string orchestra (2012)
"Is the flute magic?" A musical offering to W. A. Mozart for flute (Picc, Ord, C-Alto) and orchestra, flute concerto (2017)
Autoportrait for accordion and strings (2018)
Vocal and symphonic works
"Chumatsky Songs", a folk cantata based on folk texts for baritone and ensemble of Ukrainian folk instruments (1988)
"Credo" (for soloists and orchestra, 1989)
"Passion according to Vladislav" (for reader and orchestra, 1989)
"On the Death of Jesus" ("cantus canonicus"), church chants based on the Gospel of St Luke in 4 parts for women's choir, reader and 2 trumpets (1991)
Requiem for soprano, baritone and chamber ensemble
For a capella choir
Slave Songs (based on Lesya Ukrainka's lyrics, 1988)
Sermon on the Mount (based on the Gospel of Luke, 1998)
A picturesque excursion to the protected places of Ukrainian shameful humour and an arrangement of the Ukrainian folk song "Oh, in the cherry orchard" (1998)
"Singing the Nativity of the Lord...", a concert cantata on canonical texts for mixed choir and children's voices (1999)
For chamber ensembles
Homo ludens I-XII, pieces for solo instruments (1991-2018)
"An Anecdote for Adults, a small concerto for children's percussion ensemble
"PARS PRO TOTO" (Part instead of the whole), "Quadromusic No. 2" for 10 performers (1994)
"Duels, Quadromusic No.3, Chamber Concerto for clarinet ensemble (1995-98)
"The Art of Mute Sounds" for 4 clarinets (1997)
"Hosanna to the musicians who are not with us... already and yet" for 2 saxophones, percussion and piano (1997)
"Someone else is with me - the three commandments of bliss" for piano trio of variable composition (1998)
"The Game of Sounds", a "music match in five rounds" between a clarinetist and a string quartet (2001)
Anti-Sonatas Nos. 28, 29 and 53 for piano and clarinet (2003, 16')
(pia)NO TROMB ONE for trombone and piano (2005, 4')
Trumpets of Jericho for 12 trumpets (2007)
The Trumpet Calls (for trumpet and piano, 2008)
"Give the Shevchenko Prize to everyone who wants it" ("tête-à-tête") for two saxophones (2007)
Quartet for 4 French Horns (2016)
Fingerprints on Strings, Keys and Valves (an attempt at musical examination) for flute, violin, cello and piano (2018)
For piano
Variations on a Folk Theme (1982)
Homo ludens No. 2 (1992)
Hello M.K., a three-movement sonata for piano (2001)
For percussion instruments
Folk - concerto No. 2 for percussion quartet
Homo ludens No. 7
Hosanna, to musicians who are no longer or not yet with us (sax, percussion, piano)
For accordion
Suite No. 1 "Portraits of Composers" in 4 movements (1979-88)
"Messa da requiem" (1982)
Suite No. 2 "Ukrainian" (1980-87)
Sonata "Passione" (1985-89)
"Quasi sonata" No. 2, "an attempt at introspection" (2001)
