Gabriel Prokofiev (born 6 January 1975) is a Russian-British composer, producer, DJ, and founder of the

Nonclassical Nonclassical is a British independent record label and night club founded in 2004 by Gabriel Prokofiev, grandson of Sergei Prokofiev. History Nonclassical has released fourteen albums, each following a concept of recording new contemporary cl ...

record label and nightclub. He has been nominated for two

Ivor Novello Awards The Ivor Novello Awards, named after the Welsh entertainer Ivor Novello, are awards for songwriting and Musical composition, composing. They have been presented annually in London by the The Ivors Academy, Ivors Academy, formerly called the Britis ...

and his works have been performed internationally by orchestras such as

BBC Philharmonic The BBC Philharmonic is a national British broadcasting symphony orchestra and is one of five radio orchestras maintained by the British Broadcasting Corporation. The Philharmonic is a department of the BBC North Group division based at Media ...

, St Petersburg Philharmonic, Seattle Symphony, Detroit Symphony, MDR Leipzig, Buenos Aires Philharmonic and Royal Seville Symphony Orchestra.

Early life

Gabriel Prokofiev was born in

London London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...

on 6 January 1975 to an English mother and a Russian father, the artist Oleg Prokofiev, and is the grandson of the composer

Sergei Prokofiev Sergei Sergeyevich Prokofiev; alternative transliterations of his name include ''Sergey'' or ''Serge'', and ''Prokofief'', ''Prokofieff'', or ''Prokofyev''. , group=n ( – 5 March 1953) was a Russian composer, pianist, and conductor who l ...

. His childhood was creative. He studied piano, horn, trumpet, and sang choral music. Resisting the pressure to embark on a classical career, he instead started writing songs and joined a pop band at age ten. Inspired by the

electronic dance music Electronic dance music (EDM), also referred to as dance music or club music, is a broad range of percussive electronic music genres originally made for nightclubs, raves, and List of electronic dance music festivals, festivals. It is generally ...

of the 90s but also wanting to compose classical music, Prokofiev decided to focus on the sub-genre of

electroacoustic music Electroacoustic music is a Music genre, genre of Western art music in which composers use recording technology and audio signal processing to manipulate the timbres of Acoustics, acoustic sounds in the creation of pieces of music. It originated a ...

during his student years. Enticed by the impressive BEAST (Birmingham Electro Acoustic Sound Theatre), founded by the renowned composer Jonty Harrison, Prokofiev studied at the

University of Birmingham The University of Birmingham (informally Birmingham University) is a Public university, public research university in Birmingham, England. It received its royal charter in 1900 as a successor to Queen's College, Birmingham (founded in 1825 as ...

. He then went on to study a Masters in composition at

York University York University (), also known as YorkU or simply YU), is a public university, public research university in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is Canada's third-largest university, and it has approximately 53,500 students, 7,000 faculty and staff, ...

, entering one of his compositions into the Bourges International Electro-Acoustic Music Competition. He won a place in the student residency category. He also became familiar with electronic and hip-hop production techniques and was active as a producer for several years.

Career

Prokofiev returned to writing

classical music Classical music generally refers to the art music of the Western world, considered to be #Relationship to other music traditions, distinct from Western folk music or popular music traditions. It is sometimes distinguished as Western classical mu ...

in 2003 with two string quartets, written for the Elysian Quartet. He then founded the independent record label and night club

in 2004, as a way of bringing

to younger people. The

club nights in London featured experiments in performing classical or classical-influenced music in nontraditional venues. Releasing recordings of the string quartets on his label, he included remixes from

electronic music Electronic music broadly is a group of music genres that employ electronic musical instruments, circuitry-based music technology and software, or general-purpose electronics (such as personal computers) in its creation. It includes both music ...

producers (including Vex’d and Hot Chip). This interest in remixing classical music led to compose an "orchestral remix" of Beethoven's Symphony No. 9 in D minor, Op. 125 (2011), commissioned by the Orchestre National des Pays de la Loire. Then performed to sold-out concert halls in

Angers Angers (, , ;) is a city in western France, about southwest of Paris. It is the Prefectures of France, prefecture of the Maine-et-Loire department and was the capital of the province of Duchy of Anjou, Anjou until the French Revolution. The i ...

and

Nantes Nantes (, ; ; or ; ) is a city in the Loire-Atlantique department of France on the Loire, from the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic coast. The city is the List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, sixth largest in France, with a pop ...

. His first breakthrough as a classical composer came when his Concerto for Turntables and Orchestra No.1 was performed at the 2011

BBC Proms The BBC Proms is an eight-week summer season of daily orchestral classical music concerts and other events held annually, predominantly in the Royal Albert Hall in central London. Robert Newman founded The Proms in 1895. Since 1927, the ...

. Prokofiev wrote Concerto for Turntables and Orchestra in 2006 during a time when he was wrestling with his creative loyalties between classical and

. After the Proms, Prokofiev gradually began to dedicate himself to

alone, a move that was hastened by an invitation from the Orchestre de Pau Pays de Béarn (OPPB) in

France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...

to become their

composer A composer is a person who writes music. The term is especially used to indicate composers of Western classical music, or those who are composers by occupation. Many composers are, or were, also skilled performers of music. Etymology and def ...

in residence. As Prokofiev's fame spread, he began to collaborate with prominent artists on both sides of the classical and pop divide. Developing his name as a

of concerti for unconventional instruments, including works such as the Concerto for Bass Drum and Orchestra (2013), commissioned by the London Contemporary Orchestra and Princeton Symphony. Taking inspiration from his

nonclassical Nonclassical is a British independent record label and night club founded in 2004 by Gabriel Prokofiev, grandson of Sergei Prokofiev. History Nonclassical has released fourteen albums, each following a concept of recording new contemporary cl ...

club nights, the concerto focused on the intriguing choice of Bass drum as a solo instrument. His Violin Concerto was performed by Daniel Hope and the Borusan Istanbul Philharmonic at the

in 2014, and his Saxophone Concerto, performed by jazz-man

Branford Marsalis Branford Marsalis (born August 26, 1960) is an American saxophonist, composer, and bandleader. While primarily known for his work in jazz as the leader of the Branford Marsalis Quartet, he also performs frequently as a soloist with classical ens ...

, was jointly commissioned by the Naples Philharmonic and the Detroit Symphony in 2017. He has often collaborated with choreographers and ballet companies, composing a works for the

Rambert Dance Company Rambert (known as Rambert Dance Company before 2014) is a leading British dance company. Formed at the start of the 20th century as a classical ballet company, it exerted a great deal of influence on the development of dance in the United Kingd ...

, Birmingham Royal Ballet, Katarzyna Kozielska’s ''Dark Glow'', premiered by

Stuttgart Ballet Stuttgart Ballet is a leading German ballet company. Dating back to 1609, then the court ballet of the dukes of Württemberg, the modern company was founded by John Cranko and is known for full-length narrative ballets. The company received the ...

, and ''Bayadère: The Ninth Life'', choreographed by Shobana Jeyasingh. In 2019, after attracting the attention of Regensburg Opera, Gabriel was commissioned to write his first full length opera, ‘Elizabetta', an invigorating mix of classic operatic aria and recitative with techno and dance, TV-commercials, Congolese song, contemporary classical and

. In 2022 Prokofiev composed the soundtrack for Litvinenko, the

ITVX ITVX is a British Over-the-top media services, over-the-top and ad-supported Streaming television, streaming service operated by ITV plc. The service offers original content from the broadcaster, livestreams of the ITV television channels, Free ...

drama about the poisoning of former Russian security officer Alexander “Sasha” Litvinenko who had defected to the UK.

Personal life

Prokofiev resides in

Hackney, London Hackney is a district in East London, England, forming around two-thirds of the area of the modern London Borough of Hackney, to which it gives its name. It is 4 miles (6.4 km) northeast of Charing Cross and includes part of the Queen ...

, with his wife and their three children.

Selected works

Soloist and orchestra

* Flute Concerto (2022), commissioned for Massimo Mercelli (solo flute) by Emilia Romagna Festival * Viola Concerto (2022), commissioned by

Beethoven Orchester Bonn The Beethoven Orchester Bonn is a German symphony orchestra based in Bonn, North Rhine-Westphalia. It dates back to 1907, when a professional orchestra was established. Named for Ludwig van Beethoven, who was born in Bonn, the orchestra's princ ...

, BBC National Orchestra of Wales,

Orchestra Sinfonica di Milano Giuseppe Verdi Orchestra Sinfonica di Milano Giuseppe Verdi is an Italy, Italian symphony orchestra founded in 1993 thanks to the visionary foresight of Vladimir Delman, Marcello Abbado, and Luigi Corbani. The orchestra is based in Milan, at the Auditorium di Mi ...

and Oregon Music Festival * Saxophone Concerto (2016), commissioned by Naples Philharmonic & Detroit Symphony * Concerto for Turntables and Orchestra II (2016), commissioned by Casa da Musica * Violin Concerto '1914' (2014), commissioned by

and Orchestre Philharmonique de Luxembourg * Concerto for Trumpet, Percussion, Turntables & Orchestra (2014), commissioned by Orchestre de Pau Pays de Béarn * Cello Concerto (2013), commissioned by Alexander Ivashkin and Saint Petersburg Philharmonia * Concerto for Bass Drum and Orchestra (2012), commissioned by Princeton Symphony and London Contemporary Orchestra * Concerto for Turntables and Orchestra No.1 (2006), commissioned by Will Dutta, Chimera Productions. Symphonic version commissioned by the National Youth Orchestra of Great Britain * Olga’s Miniatures (2017), commissioned by

Andrey Boreyko Andrey Boreyko (, ; born 22 July 1957) is a Polish people, Polish-Russian conductor. Biography Boreyko has Polish ancestry on his father's side and Russian ancestry on his mother's side. Boreyko was born in Saint Petersburg. At the Rimsky-Korsa ...

and Naples Philharmonic * Two Caprices for Violin and Orchestra (2016), commissioned by Orchestre de Pau Pays de Béarn * Spheres (2012), commissioned by Daniel Hope &

Deutsche Grammophon Deutsche Grammophon (; DGG) is a German classical music record label that was the precursor of the corporation PolyGram. Headquartered in Berlin Friedrichshain, it is now part of Universal Music Group (UMG) since its merger with the UMG family of ...

Orchestra

* When the City Rules (2016), commissioned by Seattle Symphony and Real Oquesta Sinfónica de Sevilla * Carnet de Voyage (2015), commissioned by Orchestre de Pau Pays de Béarn * Overture 87654321 (2014), commissioned by Orchestre de Pau Pays de Béarn * Dial 1-900 Mix-A-Lot (2014), commissioned by Seattle Symphony & Ludovic Morlot * Ruthven's Last Dance (2013), commissioned by Ricciotti Ensemble * Beethoven9 Symphonic Remix (2011), commissioned by Orchestre National des Pays de la Loire * A-Turner (2010), commissioned by Saint Petersburg Conservatory

Chamber

* Techno Suite (2023) * Litvinenko Suite (2022) * Piano Trio No.1 (2022), commissioned for the Van Baerle Trio by Tivoli Vredenberg and Muziekgebouw * Pastoral Reflections (2021) * Dr Calvin Remembers (2021) * Breaking Screens (2020) * Techno Suite (2019) * Broken Screen (2017), commissioned by Alison Balsom * The River Conqueror (2015), commissioned by Orchestre de Pau Pays de Béarn * Violin Duo No.1 (2014), commissioned by Retorica Duo, with LICA and Jersey International Music Festival * Pieces for Erhu & Piano (2015), commissioned by New Sound China UK * Howl for Electronics + Soloist (2013) * Six Observations for Flute Trio (2013), commissioned for Tempest Flute Trio by

* Triangles (2012), commissioned by Fari Shams for Raimund Abraham Musikerhaus, Museum Insel Hombroich * Cello Multitracks (2011) * Bogle Move (Jamaican Dancehall) (2010), commissioned by The Smith Quartet * String Quartet No.3 (2010), commissioned by the Ruysdael Kwartet * Piano Book No1 (2009), commissioned by GéNiA and

* Stolen Guitars (2008), commissioned by POW Ensemble for Gaudeamus Foundation * IMPORT/EXPORT (2008) * Sleeveless Scherzo (2008), commission by

* String Quartet No.2 (2009), commissioned by PRS Foundation for the Elysian Quartet * Two Dances (2004), commissioned by

Arts Council England Arts Council England is an arm's length non-departmental public body of the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, Department for Culture, Media and Sport. It is also a registered charity. It was formed in 1994 when the Arts Council o ...

for Tate Ensemble * String Quartet No.1 (2003), commissioned by The Elysian Quartet * Journeys of a Cattleherd (1997)

Stage and dance

* Sense of Time (2019), commissioned by Birmingham Royal Ballet * Strings (2018), commissioned by Washington University and MUPA * Spring (2018) * Dark Glow (2016), commissioned by

* Bayadere - The Ninth Life (2015), commissioned by Shobana Jeyasingh Dance Company for the

Royal Opera House The Royal Opera House (ROH) is a theatre in Covent Garden, central London. The building is often referred to as simply Covent Garden, after a previous use of the site. The ROH is the main home of The Royal Opera, The Royal Ballet, and the Orch ...

* Terra Incognita (2014), commissioned by

* Strange Blooms (2013), commissioned by Shobana Jeyasingh Dance Company * Howl (2013), commissioned by Luzerner Ballet * The Ghost of Gunby Hall (2012), commissioned by Lincoln Arts * 'Ein Winternachtstraum' - Ballet of Midsummer Night's Dream (2011), commissioned by Bern Ballet and Bern Symphony Orchestra

Electronic

* Strange Blooms (suite) (2013) * Café Perdu (1999) * Punch Me! Bite Me! (1998) * Zhiva (1998)

Vocal and opera

* Elizabetta (2019) * The Lonely Giant (2009) * Simple Songs for Modern Life (2009), commissioned by PRS Foundation for Juice Vocal Ensemble * Magnificat and Nunc Dimitis (1998)

Film, TV and digital

* Litvinenko (2022) * OK Computer (2021) * 22:22 (2017), commissioned by FLAMIN, (Film London Artists’ Moving Image), ACE and The Elephant Trust * Opponent (2014), commissioned by Film London and

Channel 4 Channel 4 is a British free-to-air public broadcast television channel owned and operated by Channel Four Television Corporation. It is state-owned enterprise, publicly owned but, unlike the BBC, it receives no public funding and is funded en ...

for Random Acts * Melior Street (2011), commissioned by Film London * Pig Alley (2008), commissioned by Opera North

Discography

Studio Albums

* Breaking Screens (2021) * Concerto for Turntables No.1 & Cello Concerto (2020) *

Beethoven Ludwig van Beethoven (baptised 17 December 177026 March 1827) was a German composer and pianist. He is one of the most revered figures in the history of Western music; his works rank among the most performed of the classical music repertoire ...

Reimagined (2020) * Saxophone Concerto, Bass Drum Concerto (2019) * Gabriel Prokofiev Selected Classical Works 2003-2012 (2014) * Cello Multitracks (2012) * Import/Export (Gabriel Prokofiev: Suite for Global Junk) (2010) * Gabriel Prokofiev: Piano Book No.1 (2010) * Gabriel Prokofiev: Concerto for Turntables and Orchestra No.1 (2009) * Gabriel Prokofiev: String Quartet No.2 (2007) * Gabriel Prokofiev: String Quartet No.1 (2004)

EPs

* Strange Blooms (2022) * HOWL! (2022) * Float Dance EP2 (2014) * Float Dance EP1 (2014)

Soundtracks

* Litvinenko (Original Soundtrack from the ITV Drama) (2022)

References

External links

Official website
*
nonclassical.co.uk
{{DEFAULTSORT:Prokofiev, Gabriel 21st-century English classical composers British people of Russian descent Living people 1975 births English male classical composers 21st-century male musicians