Sergey Okrusko
Sergey Okrusko is a well known pianist and harpsichordist in Lithuania, an experienced interpreter of Baroque and contemporary music. In 1980 he graduated from the Lithuanian Academy of Music, where he studied with the pianist professor M. Azizbekova, and went to study in Moscow P. Tchaikovsky Conservatoire with professor V. Merzhanov. Since 1974 he has given solo concerts and as a member of chamber ensembles, often in Lithuania, but also on tours in Moscow, St. Petersburg, Odessa and other large cities of Armenia, Russia and Ukraine. In 1993 he gave concerts in Germany and USA with great success.
In 1978 Sergey Okrusko became the laureate at the 4th International M. K. Čiurlionis Piano and Organ Competition, in 1993 he participated in the finals of East and West Artists International Auditions for a New York Debut, New York, USA.
The pianist's repertory includes suites by H. Purcell, Well-Tempered Clavier by J. S. Bach, sonatas by L. van Beethoven, opuses by F. Chopin, R. Schumann, S. Rakhmaninov, S. Prokofiev, D. Shostakovich and by many contemporary composers such as G. Ligeti, L. Berio, O. Messiaen and J. Cage. Sergey Okrusko is also actively promoting the work of Lithuanian composers, he is often the first to perform new opuses and prepares several premieres every year.
Sergey Okrusko focuses on chamber music of various epochs. His repertory includes trios by W. A. Mozart and R. Schumann, songs by J. Brahms and H. Wolf, sonatas for violin by L. van Beethoven and S. Prokofiev. The pianist co-operates with soloists and instrumentalists, chamber ensembles, orchestras and such musicians as the singer R. Maciūtė, the clarinettist A. Budrys, the percussionist P. Giunter, the marimbist L. Maxey (USA), the singer A. Mizrahi (USA), the cellist M. Drobinski (France), the ensemble Sostinės trio, the Čiurlionis Quartet, the Lithuanian National Symphony Orchestra, the Lithuanian and St. Christopher Chamber Orchestras. Since 2000 he has been a member of the chamber ensemble Vilniaus Arsenalas.
The pianist is often invited to participate in various music events in Lithuania. He performed in the international festivals of contemporary music Gaida (1997, 2000, 2002), Versija 2-7 (1994), Thomas Mann Festival (1998, 1999, 2000, 2002), St. Christopher Summer Festival (1998), new music festivals Marių klavyrai (1995), Balsas (1998), 3rd International Percussion Festival (2000), festival of Jewish music Shalom (1995) etc.
Since 1983 Sergey Okrusko has been teaching at LAM, Piano Department, and has been an associated professor since 1996.
Lithuanian Composers
Kazimieras Viktoras Banaitis
All Through the Night I Have Been, for voice and piano
Vytautas Barkauskas
Trys koncertiniai etiudai / Three concert studies
Elegija ir fantastinė tokata / Elegy and Fantastic Toccata
Trio fortepijonui, klarnetui ir smuikui / Trio for piano, clarinet and violin
"Legenda apie Čiurlionį" (II) / Legend abaut Ciurlionis no.2
"Legenda apie Čiurlionį" (III) / Legend abaut Ciurlionis no.3
Koncertas fortepijonui ir orkestrui / Concerto per piano e orchestra
"Sekmadienio muzika" 2-ms fortepijonams, 4-ms pianistams / Sonntagsmusik (Sunday Music) for two pianos and four pianists
"Vizija" / Vision
Polifoninė siuita / Polyphonic Suite
Maža siuita / Small Suite
13 pjesių / Pieces for piano
"Trys gėlytės" / Three Small Flowers, for piano
Lare for clarinet and piano
Kęstutis Bieliukas
Pastoralė / Pastoral
Kompozicija Nr. 2 / Composition Nr. 2
Ričardas Biveinis
Spiritus Astri smuikui ir dviems fortepijonams / for violin and two pianos
"Vizija" / Vision
Algimantas Bražinskas
"Peizažas"/ Landscape
Mikalojus Konstantinas Čiurlionis
Pjesės / Pieces
P. Fledžinskas
Sonata Nr. 2 "Natūrali muzika"/ Sonata No. 2 Natural music
Rimantas Janeliauskas
Sonata / Sonata
Vytautas Jurgutis
Blossom's Life, vocal cycle
Ričardas Kabelis
Opus Servus fortepijonui ir didžiajam būgnui / for piano and bass drum
Opus Magnus klavesinui / for harpsichord
Jeronimas Kačinskas
Sonata smuikui ir fortepijonui / Sonata for violin and piano
Dalia Kairaitytė
The Lucid Vision of Ly for flute, viola and harpsichord
Teisutis Makačinas
Sonata klarnetui ir fortepijonui / Sonata for clarinet and piano
Arvydas Malcys
"Akustinė bedugnė" violončelei ir fortepijonui / The Acoustic Abyss for cello and piano
Sonata violončelei ir fortepijonui / Sonata for cello and piano
"The Kite of Hope" piano solo
The Summer Night's Gardens, piano solo
"Milky Way" (2003) piano solo
Broken Time (2006), Trio for flute, viola and harpsichord
"Shadows” for cello, trombone and prepared piano
Piano Concerto
Algirdas Martinaitis
Anabasis altui ir fortepijonui / for viola and piano
The Way and the Wayfarer, five songs for soprano, flute, viola and harpsichord
Anatolijus Šenderovas
M. K. Čiurlionio eskizai fortepijonui solo (versija fortepijonui su mušamaisiais) / M.K. Čiurlionis’ Sketches for piano solo (version for piano and percussion)
Jonas Švedas
Du eskizai / Two Sketches
Sonata Breve
Genovaitė Vanagaitė
"Mėnesienos atspindžiai" / The Moonlight’s Reflections
Chamber Works
Wilhelm Friedemann Bach
Trio No. 2 in D major
Bela Bartók
Piano Quintet
Alban Berg
Kammerkonzert für klavier, geige und 13 blässers (1923-1925)
Johannes Brahms
Sonatas for viola (clarinet) and piano op. 120: in F minor, no.1; in E flat major, no. 2
Trio for viola, cello and piano in A minor, Op. 114
John Cage
Amores for prepared piano and percussions trio (1943)
George Enescu
Koncertstück for viola and piano (1906)
Mikhail Glinka
Sonata for viola (violin) and piano in D minor (1825-1828)
Paul Hindemith
Sonata for clarinet and piano (1939)
Charles Ives
Three page sonata for piano and bells (1905)
R. Ledeniov
Concerto poem for viola and piano, Op. 13
Darius Milhaud
Sonata for viola and piano No.1, op.240
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Piano Quartet in G minor, K.478
Trio in E-flat major, K. 498
Francis Poulenc
Sonata for clarinet and piano (1962)
Camille Saint-Saens
Sonata for clarinet and piano E-flat major, op.167
Alfred Schnittke
Piano Quintett (1989)
Sonata for violin, harpsichord and string orchestra No. 1
Franz Schubert
Barcarolle
Du bist die Ruh, D 776
Ballade D 134
Robert Schumann
Three Pieces for piano and clarinet, op. 73
Antonio Vivaldi
Trio sonata in A minor, RV 86
Solo Works
Chromatic fantasia and fugue in D minor, BWV 903
Das wohltemperierte Klavier, BWV 846-893
Fantasia in C minor, BWV 919
French Suite in B minor,BWV 814
French Suite In C minor, BWV 813
Toccata in E minor, BWV 830
Ludwig van Beethoven
Sonatas: in F minor, op. 2 Nr. 1; in C minor, op. 13 Nr. 8; in E major, op. 14 Nr. 9; in E flat major, op. 27 Nr. 13; in C sharp minor,op. 27 Nr. 14; in D minor, op. 31 Nr. 17; in E major, op. 109 Nr. 30; in C minor, op. 111
Andante F-dur (Andante favori)
Alban Berg
Sonata B minor op.1 (1908)
Frederic Chopin
Ballades: in G minor, op.23; in F minor, op.52;
Etudes: op.10 nos.1-12; op. 25 nos.1-12;
Fantaisie-Impromptu in C-sharp minor, op.66;
Nocturnes: in F-sharp major, op.15 no.2; C-sharp minor, op.27 no.1; in C minor op.48 no.1; in E minor op.72 no.1;
Preludes, op.28
Sonata in B-flat minor, op.35
Claude Debussy
L'isle joyeuse
Préludes, livre I (Book I): 1. Danseuses de Delphes; 2. Voiles; 6. Des pas sur la neige; 8. La fille aux cheveux de lin; 9. La serénade interrompue; 10. La Cathédrale engloutie; 11
Préludes, livre II (Book II): 1. Brouillards; 2. Bruyeres;
S. Feinberg
Piano sonata in b minor, op.6 (1918)
Paul Hindemith
”Ludus Tonalis”
E.Th. A. Hoffman
Sonata in A major
J.S.Bach-F.Busoni
Choral Prelude ”Ich ruf zu Dir, Herr Jesu Christ”
György Ligeti
Etudes pour piano, livre I: 1. Désordre; 2. Cordes vides; 3. Touches bloquées; 4. Fanfares; 5. Arc-en-ciel; 6. Automne a Varsovie;
Franz Liszt
Sonate in B minor (1852-1853)
Mephisto Waltzer (1859-1860)
Hungarian Rhapsodie No.12
Olivier Messiaen
Vingt Regards sur l' Enfant-Jésus (excerpts): No.5. Regard du Fils sur le Fils; No.6. Par Lui tout a’eté fait;
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Sonata in A minor, K.310
Fantasia in C minor, K.475
Sonata in B flat major, K.333
Sergei Prokofiev
Navaždenije / Navazhdenije (Sugestion diabolique), op.4 no.4 (from Four Pieces, op.4)
Sonata in A minor, no.3
Sonata in B-flat major no.7
Henry Purcell
Suites: G major no.1; G minor no.2; in G major no.3; in A minor no. 4
Sergei Rachmaninov
"Etudes-tableaux", op.33
Barcarolle in G minor, op.10 no.3 (from Morceaux de salon, op.10)
"Morceaux de fantaisie", op.3: No.1 "Elégie"; No. 4 "Polichinele"
Preludes: C-sharp minor, op. 3 no.2; F-sharp minor, op.23 no.1; B-flat major, op. 23
Sonata b-moll, Nr. 2 op. 36 (1931)
Variations on a Theme of Corelli, op.42 (1931)
Maurice Ravel
Miroirs (1905)
Pavane pour une infante défunte (1899)
Robert Schumann
Toccata in C major, op. 7
Blumenstück, op.19
Fünf Allbumblätter, op. 99
Drei Stücklein, op.99
Novellette F-dur, op.21 no.1
Variations on a Theme of Clara Wieck (from Grande sonata F minor, op.14)
Dmitri Shostakovich
24 Preludes, op.34 (1932-1933)
Igor Stravinsky
Petrushka (Pétrouchka) (excerpts from balet): Danse Russe; Chez Petrouchka; La semaine grasse
Karol Szymanowski
Metopy, op.29 (1.Wyspa syren; 2.Kalipso; 3.Nauzykaa) / Metopes, op.29 (1.Isle of the Sirens; 2.Calypso; 3. Nausicaa)
Pyotr Tchaikovsky
Vremena goda / Les Saisons, op.37b
Works for piano and orchestra
Johann Sebastian Bach
Concertos for harpsichord and orchestra: in A major, BWV 1055; in F minor, BWV 1057; in D minor, BWV 1059
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Piano Concerto in F major, K.413
Pyotr Tchaikovsky
Piano Concerto in B flat minor, op. 23 no.1
Recital programme I
L.van Beethoven Andante favori in F major
F.Chopin Sonata in B-flat minor, op.35
IntermissionC. Debussy Préludes: La serénade interrompue; La Cathédrale engloutie; La dance de Puck.
G. Ligeti Etudes pour piano, livre I: 1. Désordre; 2. Cordes vides; 3. Touches bloquées; 4. Fanfares; 5. Arc-en-ciel; 6. Automne a Varsovie;
Recital programme II
D.Shostakovich 24 Preludes, op.34 (1932-1933)
Intermission
A.Berg Sonata B minor op.1 (1908)
I.Stravinsky Petrushka (Pétrouchka): Danse Russe; Chez Petrouchka; La semaine grasse
Recital programme III
L.van Beethoven Sonata in E major, op. 109 No. 30
Intermission
F.Schubert Two Impromtus: op.90 No. 3, op.90 No. 2
R.Schumann Blumenstück, op.19
S.Rachmaninov Barcarolle in G minor, op.10 no.3 (from Morceaux de salon, op.10)
"Etude-tableaux", op.39 No. 5
Preludes: op. 32 No 7 in F major; op. 32 No 12 in G sharp minor, op. 32 No. 13 in D flat major
Recital programme IV
J.S.Bach Fantasia in C minor, BWV 906
Bach-Busoni Choral Prelude ”Ich ruf zu Dir, Herr Jesu Christ”
J.S.Bach Prelude from Suite in E major, BWV 1006a
L.van Beethoven Sonata op. 27 Nr.2 in C sharp minorIntermission
F.Chopin Fantaisie-Impromptu in C-sharp minor, op.66
F.Liszt Hungarian Rhapsodie No.12
C.Debussy Préludes, livre I (Book I): 1. Danseuses de Delphes, 6. Des pas sur la neige
L'isle joyeuse
"S. Okruško is an intellectual pianist who has perfectly mastered the piano technique, has good taste and artist’s temperament. (…) S. Okruško has made solid contribution to the promotion of the most recent opuses by Lithuanian composers. The pianist is not only interpreting them very precisely, but also lends them his own implications."
A. Radvilaitė. 7 meno dienos, 16 02 1996
"It is always a great pleasure to listen to the pianist S. Okruško. This mature and interesting musician often gives concerts together with R. Maciūtė. The étude by F. Chopin (op. 10 No. 3 E-major), which was performed that evening dedicated to his scene partner R. Maciūtė, has once more confirmed the pianist’s mastery."
R. Jakutytė. Muzikos barai, No. 11-12, June, 1998
"S. Okruško’s performance is attractive for its male energy, “wide stroke” and at the same time - natural “breadth” of musical fabric and expressive rendering. Next to musical opuses demanding wide technical skills, a clear architectonic plan, the pianist willingly performs chamber miniatures filled with subtle lyrics, intimate experiences. The German critic B. Eberlein, in a programme on Cologne radio, has described S. Okruško as an excellent connoisseur of contemporary music, a performer of remarkable, simply “wild” temperament."
R. Kryžauskienė. Muzikos barai, No 11, 1990
"The pianist’s interpretational style is marked by an exceptional constructivism characteristic to him, logical structural thinking, even a certain sharpness; at the same time the performer is trying to penetrate the depths and nuances of pure pianism."
V. Markeliūnienė. Lietuvos aidas, 20 02 1996
"The pianist Sergejus Okruško I have given many concerts with, is very close to me with his love to music, love to work. It is interesting to rehearse with him - Sergejus has a clear conception of the opus, does not let me go wayward."
Regina Maciūtė. Lietuvos rytas, 03 02 1995
Pianist was admired by listeners for his skill, virtuosity, deepness and strenght of the sound, softly polished details.
the ”Frankenpost”, Hof
Sergey Okrushko performed ”Three Concert Etudes” for piano by V.Barkauskas which can be distinquished for diversity of creative treatment, aspirations for disclosing all the posibilities of the instrument by both the author and the pianist.
the ”Izvestia”, Moscow
Sergey Okrushko presented new musical works with futore, and futuristic lustre.