Vladimir Miller is the pianist, principal composer and musical director of the Moscow Composers Orchestra.
Vladimir Miller’s frequent visits to Moscow in the early 1990s and consequent close interaction with music producer Nikolai Dmitriev helped cement the forming of the Moscow Composers Orchestra (MCO), which he now directs. Since the debut CD ‘Kings and Cabbages’ released by Leo Records in March 1993 the MCO has experienced successful concert tours of Germany, Italy, Switzerland and others, including individual performances at ‘Tampere Jazz Happening’ in Finland, Koln Musik Triennale in Germany, Bolzano Jazz Festival in Italy, Vienna Russian Festival in Austria, Mimi Jazz Festival in France and as part of ‘Unsung Music’ at London’s South Bank. This last concert was broadcast on BBC Radio 3’s ‘Impressions’ programme.
MCO have released seven CDs to critical acclaim. Scott Yanow, in Jazziz, wrote “shocking at first… but, as one becomes accustomed to the long tones and motional intensity, the music becomes magically coherent and logical.” In BBC Music Magazine Ian Carr described the MCO as “a highly successful venture in the improvised music area.”
Discography
Kings & Cabbages [LEO LAB CD 005] 1994
Recorded live January 13, 1993 at 5 studio GDRZ, Moscow, Russia.
Alto Saxophone – Edward Sivkov
Baritone Saxophone – Bram Groothoff
Baritone Saxophone, Bass Clarinet, Flute – Sergey Letov
Cello – Vladislav Makarov
Double Bass – Vladimir Volkov
Drums – Valentin Sokolov
Electric Bass – Viktor Melnikov
French Horn, Flugelhorn – Arkady Shilkloper
Guitar – Alexander Kostikov
Percussion – Mikhail Zhukov
Piano – Alexey Levin
Piano, Conductor, Composer – Vladimir Miller
Soprano Saxophone, Flute – Alexander Voronin
Tenor Saxophone – Sergey Batov
Trumpet – Yuri Parfyonov, Vyacheslav Guyvoronsky
Trumpet, Flugelhorn – Andrew Solovyov
Tuba – Oleg Ruvinov
“…magically coherent and logical” Scott Yanow, allmusic
Life At City Garden [U-Sound CD 95027] 1995
Recorded live January 13, 1993 at 5 studio GDRZ, Moscow, Russia; June 18, 1994 at Stadtgarten, Cologne, Germany; June 25, 1994 at Podewil, Berlin, Germany.
Alto Saxophone, Baritone Saxophone, Bass Clarinet – Edward Sivkov
Bassoon – Alexander Alexandrov
Cello – Vladislav Makarov
Double Bass – Reinhart Hammerschmidt, Vladimir Volkov
Drums – Mikhail Yudenich
Guitar – Alexander Kostikov
Percussion – Mikhail Zhukov
Piano, Conductor – Vladimir Miller
Soprano Saxophone, Baritone Saxophone, Bass Clarinet, Flute – Sergey Letov
Trombone, Didgeridoo, Tibetan Horn – Heinz-Erich Goedecke
Trombone, Ragus – Vitas Pilibavicius
Trumpet – Andrew Solovyov
Trumpet, Alto Horn – Yuri Parfyonov, Vyacheslav Guyvoronsky
Violin – Aleks Kolkowsky
Voice – Sainkho
An Italian Love Affair [LEO LAB CD 019] 1996
Recorded live at the Bolzano “Jazz Summer” Festival, June 29, 1995
Alto Saxophone, Flute – Vladimir Rezitsky
Baritone Saxophone, Alto Saxophone, Bass Clarinet – Eduard Sivkov
Bass – Vladimir Volkov
Bassoon – Alexander Alexandrov
Drums – Vladimir Tarasov
Percussion – Mikhail Zhukov
Piano, Leader, Music By – Vladimir Miller
Soprano Saxophone, Tenor Saxophone, Clarinet – Yuri Yeremchuk
Trombone, Trumpet, Ragus – Vytautas Pilibavicius
Trumpet – Yuri Parfyonov, Vyacheslav Guyvoronski
Tuba – Oleg Ruvinov
Violin, Electronics – Aleks Kolkowski
Voice – Sainkho Namchylak
“This is an hour of engaging and sometimes truly astonishing music.” Thom Jurek, allmusic
The Gift Long Arms Records [CDLA 9708] 1997
Alto Saxophone, Baritone Saxophone, Bass Clarinet – Edward Sivkov
Alto Saxophone, Flute – Vladimir Rezitsky
Bassoon – Alexander Alexandrov
Double Bass – Vladimir Volkov
Drums – Vladimir Tarasov
Flute – Erik Ovelian
Percussion – Mikhail Zhukov
Piano, Conductor – Vladimir Miller
Trombone, Ragus – Vitas Pilibavicius
Trumpet – Vyacheslav Gayvoronsky
Trumpet, Pocket Trumpet – Yuri Parfyonov
Violin – Alex Aigi
Violin – Alex Kolkowsky
Voice – Sainkho
Let Peremsky Dream [LEO LAB CD 035] 1997
Recorded live at the Queen Elizabeth Hall, June 20, 1996, at the Unsung Music Festival.
Bass – Vladimir Volkov
Bass Clarinet, Baritone Saxophone, Alto Saxophone – Eduard Sivkov
Bassoon – Alexander Alexandrov
Drums – Vladimir Tarasov
Flute, Alto Saxophone – Vladimir Rezitsky
French Horn – Arkady Shilkloper
Piano – Vladimir Miller
Soprano Saxophone, Bass Clarinet – Vitas Labutis
Trombone – Vitas Pilibavicius
Trumpet – Yuri Parfenov, Vyacheslav Guyvoronsky
Violin – Alex Kolkowski
Voice – Sainkho Namchylak
“The standout here is the 35-minute “Brief Meditation” in which orchestra and vocalist are simply one and the same.” Thom Jurek, allmusic
CD available at http://www.leorecords.com/?th=1&m=select&id=LeoLab_035
Kharms-10 Incidents Long Arms Records [CDLA 05019] 2005
Recorded live at Porgy and Bess in January 1998, Vienna, Austria
Alto Saxophone, Flute – Vladimir Rezitsky
Bassoon, Basset Horn – Alexander Alexandrov
Double Bass – Vladimir Volkov
Drums – Vladimir Tarasov
French Horn, Flugelhorn – Arkady Shilkloper
Piano – Vladimir Miller
Soprano Saxophone – Vitas Labutis
Trombone – Vitas Pilibavicius
Trumpet, Flugelhorn – Jurij Parfionov
Violin – Aleks Kolkovsky
Voice – Sainkho Namchylak
Voice, Clarinet – Sergey Starostin
Available at https://www.longarms.net/cddetail?id=1827
Portrait Of An Idealist [Leo Records CD LR 527] 2008
Bass – Vladimir Volkov
Bassoon – Alexander Alexandrov
Cello – Vladislav Makarov
Drums – Vladimir Tarasov
Piano – Vladimir Miller
Saxophone, Bass Clarinet, Flute – Sergey Letov
Trumpet – Yuri Parfyonov
Violin – Aleks Kolkovsky
Voice – Sainkho Namchylak