MYROSLAV SKORYK (born in 1938 in Lviv, Ukraine) is the author of a very diverse and impressive oeuvre. Although contemporary in its vocabulary and means of expression, his music often draws from the rich well of Ukrainian folklore. Among his most popular compositions are the Concerto for Orchestra (Carpathian); the Hutsul Tryptich; Violin Concertos Nos.1 & 2; Piano Concertos Nos.1 & 2; the Cello Concerto and the Sonatas for Violin and Piano. The composer has also written music for some 40 films, of which the best known is Shadows of Forgotten Ancestors. He also writes jazz and popular music. Skoryk's works are regularly performed throughout Ukraine, the other republics of the former Soviet Union, as well as in Germany, France, Austria, Holland, Bulgaria, the Czech and Slovak Republics, Poland, Canada, and in recent

years, in the United States, England and Australia.
Skoryk entered the Lviv Music School in 1945, but in 1947, he and his parents were deported to Siberia and were not permitted to return until 1955. He was then accepted to the Lviv Conservatory, where he studied composition with S. Liudkevych, P. Simovych and A. Soltys. From 1960 to 1964 he studied at the Moscow Conservatory in the doctoral program with the celebrated Dmitri Kabalevsky. Upon graduation, he joined the faculty of the Lviv Conservatory and, in 1967, the Kyiv Conservatory, where he remained as professor of composition until 1988. In 1968, Skoryk was selected to be the secretary of the Ukrainian Union of Composers and, in 1988, he became the head of the Lviv branch of this same organization. He is the winner of the prestigious Shevchenko Prize and holds the title "People's Artist of Ukraine". After the death of Borys Lyatoshynsky in 1968, Skoryk, despite his young age, became one of Ukraine's most important professors of composition. His many students include such prominent contemporary composers as Stankovych, Karabyts, Kyva, Ilyin and Balakauskas. Myroslav Skoryk presently resides in Ukraine, and travels frequently to concertise and lecture in Europe, the United States, Canada and Australia.

Works by Myroslav Skoryk available from Duma Music:

Album Leaf for string quartet.
A nostalgic reverie for string quartet. $6.95 (score and parts)

The Stone Host Suite for symphony orchestra. An inspired three movement suite for symphony orchestra. Based on themes for Lesia Ukrainka’s drama The Stone Host (Don Juan), the Suite was composed in 1979. It consists of three movements: The Commandant and Anna, In An Ancient Style and Spanish Dance.

Scoring: 2 flutes, 2 oboes, English horn, 2 clarinets, bass clarinet, 2 bassoons, 4 horns, 3 trumpets, 3 trombones, tuba, timpani, triangle, castanets, drum, cymbals, tam-tam, bells, xylophone, vibraphone, harp, strings.

Approximate performance time: 15 minutes.

Score: $49.95, parts available for rental

Album Leaf for piano solo. Solo piano version of the above. $3.95

A-RI-A for cello and piano. World premiere by cellist Vagram Saradjian and pianist Volodymyr Vynnytsky on November 13, 1994 at Carnegie Hall in New York. May also be performed by violin and piano. Cello and violin parts are both included with the score. $7.95

Blues for piano solo.
A blues-tinged solo piano gem from Skoryk. $3.95

Burlesque. Piano solo (see "Music Without Borders" under "Collections").

Carpathian Rhapsody for clarinet and piano. A boisterous, temperamental showpiece, imbued with the tempestuous rhythms and melodic motifs of the Hutsuls, who live in the Ukrainian Carpathians. $11.95 (score and part)

Fantasy on the Ukrainian Folk Song “The Moon in the Sky” for clarinet and piano. A theme and variations treatment of the beloved Ukrainian folk song “Misyats’ Na Nebi”. $11.95 (score and part)

From the Children's Album. Five inventive character pieces for young pianists. $9.95

Melody for string orchestra. A romantic and highly accessible work. Suitable for both subscription and "pops" programs. $24.95 (score and parts)

Melody for string quartet.
String quartet version of the above. $6.95 (score and parts)

Melody for piano solo. Solo piano version of the above. $3.95

Partita No.6 for string quartet. World premiere by the Leontovych String Quartet on August 11, 1996 at Music Mountain, Falls Village, CT. One of Skoryk's finest works. $39.95 (score and parts)

Partita No.7 for wind quintet. World premiere by the Vanguard Chamber Ensemble on December 12, 1998 at the Ukrainian Institute, New York City. $29.95 (score and parts)

Piano Variations. A challenging solo piano work. $9.95

Six Jazz Pieces for piano solo. Six swinging piano solos featuring bluesy themes and melodies spun over jazzy rhythms and adorned with rich, zesty harmonizations. $19.95

Sonata No.2 for violin and piano. An engaging and poignant work in three movements, written in 1991, which received a series of successful performances by renowned violinists such as Yuri Mazurkevich and Solomiya Soroka.
$14.95 (score and part)

Partita No.5 (in modo retro) for piano solo. In five movements: Prelude, Waltz, Chorale, Aria and Finale. $14.95

Three Jazz Pieces for piano four-hands. Three spirited duets utilizing jazz rhythms and harmonies, peppered with humor throughout. The second piano part is well within the capabilities of intermediate pianists, while the first part requires a more advanced technique. Excellent teacher/student performance repertoire. $11.95