East and west, classical and traditional, all collaborate in the music of Ljova, the violist, composer and arranger known off stage as Lev Zhurbin. Then again - they all cohabitate in his biography as well. Ljova is a proud resident/fan of the Upper West Side, but he was born in Russia, and first came to New York in 1990, when he was 11; he also studied classical Viola at Juilliard, but joined a string quartet of Russian immigrants and spent his weekends playing weddings. His background may be curious, but it’s his CV that reads like a story of insatiable curiosity: he’s composed for theatre, film and Yo-Yo-Ma, arranged for the Brooklyn Philharmonic and The Knights, and continues to perform and lead his ensemble, Ljova and the Kontraband. 

Ljova will be bringing his signature blend of Russian folk, jazz, Balkan Gypsy and Klezmer to Village Underground on 29th April, taking part in City of London Sinfonia’s Émigré festival. With rehearsed views on immigration overwhelming the public space, the concert promises to be a welcome change in the discourse on difference - in the meantime we talked to Ljova to get a taster.

Run Riot: You studied classical viola; what pushed you towards composing?

Ljova: Composing music was rather inevitable – my father is a celebrated Russian composer, Alexander Zhurbin, who wrote Russia's first rock opera, Orpheus & Eurydice in 1975; my mother, Irena Ginzburg, is a writer, poet, vocalist and translator. Together, my parents have written and performed dozens of songs together. (Interestingly, my wife, Inna Barmash, is also a wonderful vocalist, and will be performing with us on the 29^th!) It would seem I was always making music – as a kid, in the back of my parents' car in Moscow, I would make up tunes about street lights, later at night I'd improvise for hours at the piano. We had quite a record collection – I had an early affection to conducting along with Mahler's symphonies. When I was about nine years old, I wrote a suite of “alternative” music to the film E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, which was one of about six VHS tapes I owned and watched on a daily basis. 
I graduated from Juilliard with a degree in Viola at the insistence of my father, who himself had a degree in the Cello. But I have been always composing, from the very beginning. (I have never formally studied composition, yet gratified to be on a relentless schedule of writing new pieces and developing new projects.)
Run Riot: Over the years you’ve played in smaller bands and bigger orchestras; composing, arranging, performing and teaching all play a role in your career. What does this diversity bring?

Ljova: I've been incredibly fortunate in working alongside a very wide variety of musicians and performing forces (Yo-Yo Ma, Kronos Quartet, Kayhan Kalhor, Osvaldo Golijov, Gustavo Santaolalla, Natalia Lafourcade, Alondra de la Parra, just to name a few), writing music for films, dance, and the concert stage. Some musicians with whom I collaborate read music; others are not readers, but they conjure music in the most direct way possible. All of this cross pollination brings to me an immense feeling of gratitude and respect for every musician's craft, but also an impetus to shift the comfort zone, both for myself and for musicians involved. 

Run Riot: The UK is approaching general elections, infused by a heavy-handed immigration debate; you’re visiting London to take part in the Émigré festival. Could you tell us how (and if) your own experience of immigration influenced your practice? What role do you see migration playing in contemporary music?

Ljova: I was born in Moscow, and live in New York City since age 11. New York, not unlike London, is a city of immigrants - the diversity is so powerful that you never feel out of place, feel foreign or native, you just are a New Yorker. It may be a challenging city to live in, but each New Yorker makes the other stronger.

Immigration, aside from its many difficult logistical challenges, seems to be predominantly about a feeling of belonging – to a country, a language, a culinary dish, musical and cultural heritage, trying to balance between assimilating and preserving traditions. I have been fortunate to grow up in a diverse artistic and cultural environment with an open mind.  

I've never given much contemplation to my immigrant identity. My native tongue is Russian, but my favourite food is Indian, my favourite music is from the Balkans and Mexico, and my favourite films are often from Israel. I do not feel Russian or American – I'm just a New Yorker. It somehow fits.

Run Riot:  The east and the west, often seen as opposites, find themselves side by side in your biography. How do the two traditions, musical and otherwise, shape your work?

Ljova: The east and west are always sparring, but the musical communities are always looking for ways to build bridges, find a common thread, a vocabulary, a united sound, a new project. Rather than focus on what makes us different, musicians tend to focus on that which brings us all together. Nothing heals wounds (or ignites a war) faster than a song – the most extreme thing we all can do is not to try. 

Run Riot:  Let’s turn to the part of your practice that involves authors from other art forms: composing film scores and music for dance. What’s the appeal of this kind of collaboration?

Ljova: Collaboration for me has been an incredible gift, because it forces me to see (not only hear) music from the viewpoint of someone who doesn't necessarily speak the same language. It has reinforced in me the power of simplicity, gesture, the importance of being comfortable enough to venture out of your comfort zone. When I collaborate, the music becomes not the whole but the glue, the frame, the texture, on which so much magic is built. For me, the pieces I've written for film and dance are forever inextricably linked with the projects they were written for.  I see them – the dancers, the film characters – whenever we play this music in concert.

Run Riot:  You were an early adopter of all things online, posting YouTube clips before it was the most natural thing to do. How has the internet changed the worlds of classical and non-mainstream music?

Ljova: Even before Bandcamp, Soundcloud, Youtube and MySpace, I was posting things on MP3.com, Soundclick and IUMA (for those who remember these sites), always recording and sharing, often receiving requests to collaborate – whether it was to contribute a string line to a singer songwriter's song, or to offer something crazy for remixing. I have always been very informal – about collaborations, genres, and my work in general.  

I strongly feel that being informal and open has been my biggest success. Rather than choosing a clear direction for a career, I've let my collaborators steer me in opposing directions, often in the same week. 

My generation of performers sees very little of any boundaries separating music genres. It's equally disenchanting to hear of someone heralded as a next generation “classical string quartet” or a “contemporary music ensemble”, a “jazz drummer” or a “pop singer” – this description tells me everything about the music before I hear a note. Very few if any of my close colleagues would call themselves a “classical” or “non-mainstream” musician – everyone emphasizes versatility and an open frame of mind. 

Run Riot:  Finally - what do you have in store for London audiences? 

Ljova: Underpromise / overdeliver, right? You'll have fun, you might shed a few tears – but still probably head home happy. It's going to be quite a memorable night, a wonderful beginning to a 2-week residency in and around London. I can't wait, and am so grateful to the City of London Sinfonia for this great feast! 

Ljova

29 April

Village Underground