Ruslan Sirota

Ruslan Sirota
(Israel)

Ruslan Sirota is a virtuoso piano player, brilliant composer and a talented producer. Ruslan's maturity and depth in performance make a perfect conjunction with his expressive composer's style, his producer's works impress with creativity of ideas and strength.

Ruslan was born in 1980 and lived in Uman, Ukraine, where he attended a music school. In 1990 his family moved to Israel and Ruslan continued his music education at the Bat-Yam Music Conservatory, became a winner of a number of piano and jazz competitions, participated in many local jazz festivals and had numerous performances with his jazz-fusion group Confusion. In 1998 Confusion came out with a CD 'Customade', that still is one of the most popular jazz-fusion albums in Israel.

In summer 1997 Ruslan received a scholarship from the Berklee College of Music in Boston to attend Berklee Five Week Summer Performance Program. In 1999 Ruslan was awarded a Berklee Full Tuition Scholarship and in January 2000 moved to Boston.

RESUME

Objective:
A Position In The Music Business Demanding Excellence In Performance Education

Education:
- 1999-present.............Berklee College of Music, Professional Music Degree Program

- 1998-99 (summers)..Berklee College of Music 5 Week Summer Program

- 1991-97....................Bat-Yam Music Conservatory (Bat-Yam, Israel)

- 1987- 90...................Uman Music School (Uman, Ukraine)

Awards:

- 1987-90................Uman Music School Honors/Awards

- 1999......................Berklee College of Music Full Tuition Scholarship

- 1999......................Gary Burton Restricted Gift Scholarship

- 1997-98.................Berklee 5 Week Summer Performance Program Full Tuition and Housing Scholarship

- 1998, 2000, 2002...America Israel Cultural Fund Highest Award

- 1987.......................P. I. Tchaikovsky Piano Competition First Prize (Uman, Ukraine)

Experience:

- house keyboardist at the Wally's Jazz Cafe with the Mark Kelly Band

- highly proficient in Jazz, Fusion, Funk, Rock, Pop, R&B

- classically trained

- extensive club gigs around the Boston/New-York area and Israel

- studio work

- leading producing and arranging for small and large instrumental and vocal ensembles of all styles

- leading and producing a Fusion quintet Confusion

- keyboardist in a Funk-R&B band " Lovejones" (2001)

- church organist

- private instructor

- worked with most of the known music workstations by Korg, Roland, Yamaha, Kurtzweil, Ensoniq

- worked with Digital Performer and other music software

- extensive work with both PC and MAC

- internet and web

- fluent in English, Russian and Hebrew

Selected Performances:

- Boston Youth Jazz Festival (2001)

- Red Sea Jazz Festival (1999, 2000)

- House of Blues, Boston

- The Bitter End, NY

- The Bottom Line, NY

Recordings:

- Customade 98, leading and producing a Jazz-Fusion band Confusion

- With Original Material Capriccio No 5 01 producing and performing a selection of classical pieces, self re-arranged for a string trio and a rhythm section

Other Interests:

- proficient on drums, bass and guitar