Vadim Neselovskyi

Ukrainian pianist, composer, and educator Vadim Neselovskyi delivers lyrical, sophisticated performances whose sound draws deeply from classical sources and post-bop jazz. Residing in New York City, he first drew widespread notice through his longstanding role as performer and arranger for vibraphonist Gary Burton, a collaboration that began in 2004. While maintaining his post as Professor of Jazz Piano at Boston’s Berklee College of Music, Neselovskyi has issued several recordings under his own name, among them the 2007 small-group session Spring Song and the Fred Hersch-produced Music for September. In 2022 he offered a moving solo-piano tribute to his birthplace titled Odesa.

Neselovskyi entered the world in 1977 in Odesa, Ukraine, and at fifteen became one of the youngest musicians admitted to the city’s renowned conservatory. At seventeen he relocated to Dortmund, Germany, where he began performing jazz locally and appeared at events such as the Düsseldorf Jazz Rally and Leipzig Jazz Days. After settling in the United States he pursued further training, first at Berklee College of Music in Boston and later as a full-scholarship student at the Thelonious Monk Institute. There he performed in an ensemble guided by Herbie Hancock, Wayne Shorter, and Terence Blanchard, and he toured alongside artists including Dee Dee Bridgewater, Terri Lyne Carrington, John Scofield, and Kurt Rosenwinkel. Since 2004 he has served regularly as pianist and arranger in Gary Burton’s groups, contributing to the 2005 album Next Generation and the 2011 release Common Ground.

Neselovskyi’s first recording as a leader was the 2007 quintet date Spring Song, which featured Amanda Baisinger, Eric Bloom, Oleg Osenkov, and Pedro Ito. He followed it in 2013 with Music for September, a reflective solo-piano collection produced by Fred Hersch. The 2017 trio album Get Up and Go paired him with drummer Ronen Itzik, bassist Dan Loomis, and guest vocalist Sara Serpa. Additional partnerships have included horn player Arkady Shilkloper, pianist Craig Taborn, and drummer Christian Finger. When not on the road he continues to teach as Professor of Jazz Piano at Berklee College of Music in Boston. His 2022 solo album Odesa presents ruminative, poetic interpretations of pieces inspired by such hometown landmarks as the Odesa Railway Station, the Potemkin Stairs, and the Odesa Conservatory.