Oleg Karavaychuk, Soviet and Russian composer, Died at 88

  Music

Oleg Nikolayevich Karavaichuk was born on December 28, 1927, Kiev, and died on June 13, 2016.

He was a Soviet and Russian composer, author of music for many films and theater performances.

He in the family of a violinist, who was arrested when Oleg was two years old.

Oleg started composing music at an early age.

Karavaychuk graduated from the School of Music at the Leningrad State Conservatory in 1945.

Karavaychuk took part in a concert of young musicians in celebration of the 80th anniversary of the Conservatory in Tashkent, in March 1943.

Karavaychuk studied at the Leningrad State Conservatory piano class (teacher Samarii Savshinsky), in 1945-1951.

As of 1953, Oleg wrote music for films, although he claims that he began in movie industry because it was the only work, which was not prohibited by the KGB.

But, for the general public until 1990 Karavaychuk was known only as a composer of films and theater; his concerts were banned, his works were removed, there are still many that has not being released and hidden in archives.

For many years, Karavaychuk lived on the 15th Line of Vasilyevsky Island with his mother, in the house between the Sredny and Maly Prospects, close to the park named after Vera Slutskaya.

His whole extravagant appearance and behavior (manner of walking and stay, to deal with saleswomen, sunglasses, and a long mane of hair) Oleg Karavaichuk earned the nickname “mad composer” and was, therefore, a local landmark.

Oleg Karavaychuk had worked with Sergei Parajanov, Vasily Shukshin, Ilya Averbakh, Kira Muratova (Brief Encounters, The Long Goodbye) and others.

Karavaychuk also worked with the avant-garde, mostly Sergey Kuryokhin.

Up to the last year of life Karavaychuk sometimes performed in St. Petersburg, at the same time, despite financial difficulties, refusing all the bids and working only in those projects that interested him creatively.

He often took in performances, synthesizing his music, classical and modern ballet, poetry and video.

His handwriting was a shocking performance with a pillowcase on his head, playing the piano or lying in her lap.

Oleg Karavaychuk passed away at 88 yrs old.