Mikhail Bronner

Biography

Mikhail Bronner (born 1952) is a well-known contemporary Russian composer. He graduated from the Moscow Conservatoire (Music Academy) and completed his postgraduate studies in 1981. Author of more than 400 compositions of various genres (fifteen operas, two ballets, symphonic, choral, vocal and chamber music) performed at concerts and festivals in Russia (from Moscow to Vladivostok) and abroad (Germany, USA, Austria, Canada, China, Monaco, Greece, Spain, England, Scotland, France, Italy, Belgium, Switzerland, Egypt, Finland, India, Croatia, Bulgaria , Hungary, Lithuania, Slovenia, Belarus, Armenia, Ukraine, Moldova and Kazakhstan).

Among the works of Bronner there are operas «Bad Advice» on verses of G.Oster (2020); «The Ugly Duckling» (2016); «Edible Fairy Tales» (2013), «The Golden Island» (1993) (all staged in the Natalya Sats Childrens Musical Theater); as well as new operas «King Matt the First» based on the book by Janusz Korczak (2021), «Barmalei» based on the tale by Korney Chukovsky (2002; second edition 2017); ballets «Optimistic Tragedy» (1985) and «The Taming of the Shrew» (1996) — both staged in the Moscow Musical Theatre Stanislavsky and Nemirovich-Danchenko; over 70 instrumental concertos (among them Eight Jewish Dances» for domra, button accordion and chamber orchestra (2022), «Prayer for Peace» for voice, violin and chamber orchestra (2022); «Stockholm Syndrome» for saxophone and chamber orchestra (2021), ), «Shagal» concert for two violins and chamber orchestra (2020); «Proposed Circumstances» for domra and chamber orchestra (2019); «Nearby-Far away» (based on Russian romances) concert for cello and chamber orchestra (2019), «Amor aeternus» (Eternal Love) for domra, viola and chamber orchestra (2019);«Three sad messages» for violin and chamber orchestra (2016); «Kein Heldenleben» for chamber orchestra (2016), «In The Middle of Nowhere» for violin, viola and chamber orchestra (2015); «TSAVT TANEM» (I‘ll take your pains upon me...) for cello and chamber orchestra (2011), «Belarusian concert» for cymbals and chamber orchestra (2012), «The Illusion of Life» for violin, percussion and chamber orchestra (2011), «Time to Forgive» for balalaika and chamber orchestra (2004), «In Search of Holy Grail» for violin, young musician and chamber orchestra (2004); «Heaven‘s Gate» for violin and chamber orchestra (2000); works for symphony orchestra: among them «Korchak Symphony» (2024), «Deadline» (2023), «Romantic Concerto» for accordion and symphony orchestra (2022), «Shoah» symphony in five parts (2020); «MISSA VOTIVA» for violin, piano and symphony orchestra (2018), «The Rondo of the War» concert for balayka, mandolin and symphony orchestra (2018), «Ship of Fools» concert for symphony orchestra (2017), «Deus Ex Machina» concert for symphony orchestra (2016); «Zugzwang» concert for symphony orchestra with soloing piano, violin and clarinet (2015); «Testimony» (Кatuv) for bayan, piano and symphony orchestra (2004).

M. Bronner has set a large number of sacral texts («Dona nobis pacem», «Stabat mater», «Ave Maria», «Book of Psalms», etc.) and has written many compositions inspired by images, themes and characters of The Book (Old Testament) — «Juda's Passions» for bayan and chamber orchestra (1998), «In the beginning» Joyous music for chorus, two pianos, kettledrums and string orchestra (2008),«Tower of Babel» for Russian folk orchestra (2011), «Expulsion from Eden» for viola, bass clarinet, vibraphone and bayan (2008), «Abraham and Isaac» for bayan and saxophone soprano (1998), «Adam and Eve» for bayan and violin (1999), «Saxophone‘s gospel» for saxophone and chamber orchestra (1997), «From the Book of Prophet Isaiah» (1998), «Time of Cain» for bassoon and chamber orchestra (2001). His «Jewish Requiem» for four soloists, mixed and children‘s choirs and orchestra (1992) was performed with great success in six cities in Germany, including Berlin.

Works by Michael Bronner were recorded on 44 CDs.

Mikhail Bronner - Shostakovich Prize Winner, Winner of the International «Theater-goer Star Award» 2017. Winner of «Silver Disk» for achievements in the arts bayan of the Russian Academy of Music, Вoard member of the Moscow Union of Composers, the chairman of the selection committee of the Union of Composers in Moscow, a member of the organizing committee of the annual International Festival «Moscow Autumn».

M.Bronner is named «Composer of the Year» (2002) and «Person of the Year» (2013) (according to the newspaper «Muzykalnoe Obozrenie» (The Music Review).