Alexey Shor – is the stage name of one Mr. Alexey Kononenko, originally a mathematician and a researcher at Renaissance Technologies in the United States; he later reinvented himself as a classical music composer, earning acclaim for his revolutionary approach and unique style.
Novel roots
Classical music is associated with cultural history and enlightenment in the western world, with such behemoths as Tchaikovsky, Chopin, Bach, Mozart, Beethoven, Wagner, being commonly known to people of all ages and origins. Works of these maestros had a novel angle at the times of their creation, progressive in their own right, inspiring and uplifting people in their everyday lives. Even now many of their classical pieces are often heard in some variation and used as an auditory trigger or delivery to the masses due their strong emotional messages.
However, the evolution of classical music has been channelled into its own niche by the 20th century generation of composers, with subsequent decoupling taking place. As a result, the connection with the general populace in the 21st century has been gradually lost. Classical music has become synonymous with theorists and intellectuals, an upper class, far removed from progress and the functions of current contemporary society as a whole.
While many traditionalists enjoy such a positioning of the classical genre, there are those who see it as a slow but steady devolution and a terminal decline. These few visionaries have taken a novel approach by returning to the roots in order to make classical music more appealing to a wider audience, with simpler, rhythmic, melodic and pleasing tonality as a main focus.
This is not a revolution but a movement of sorts, and it is emerging from a group or a faction within the classical music community, but a natural response to the needs and wants of global audiences. These necessities are being addressed with the help of forward-thinking composers, all with their own unique style, but none as influential or highly regarded as Mr. Alexey Shor, who is spearheading this movement into the contemporary world.
Early years
Mr. Alexey Kononenko was born in 1970, near the Ukrainian capital of Kiev, at a place called Belaya Tserkov. Young Alexey’s passions were dedicated to mathematical disciplines, requiring utter dedication and effort, even though it is thought that appreciation of classical music was even then prevalent in his life.
Earning his doctorate from Pennsylvania State University, Mr. Alexey Kononenko has been hailed as one of the finest mathematicians and a generational talent. He enjoyed his subsequent role as a quantitative researcher at a Long Island hedge fund for Renaissance Technologies from 1999 onwards, where he seized an opportunity to flourish and grow. While in this position Mr. Alexey Kononenko gradually widened his metaphorical horizons and felt a need to progress further into a new stage of his life, one where his dormant passions lay.
Transformation
Mr. Alexey Kononenko, while being a serious practitioner of mathematics, never missed a chance to indulge in this love for tonal music, attending a multitude of music events and exhibitions of said genre. When able, he learnt how to compose and created his own short pieces while trying to enrich them with his own personal style, with tonal music being a key focus element, notably absent from contemporary compositions. Little by little, a favourite pastime has grown from a hobby to a full immersion into the alluring world of classical music.
Mr. Alexey Kononenko’s library of personal musical experiments grew more and more over the years. One day, a world-famous violist Mr. David Aaron Carpenter, while paying Alexey a routine visit,heard a sample of his creations by chance. The elegance and style on show had a profound impact on David, who in turn encouraged Alexey to share his music with the world. Following this advice Mr. Alexey Kononenko took on a more professional role with one minor detail, a new stage name of Shor.
A string of initial compositions followed, including the likes of Trans-Siberian Waltz and Schubertango. These compositions drew inspiration from the time-honoured folklore ballads of Alexey’s youth, which later became a defining hallmark of his musical work and an easily recognisable melodic signature style.
Triumph and Jubilations
Reflecting on his success as a classical music composer, Alexey Shor has given us a peek into his approach with a simple explanation, commenting that “the main guiding principle is that I imagine myself as an audience member and I constantly ask myself ‘would I enjoy listening to this; would I enjoy listening to this more than once?’ So, basically, I am writing for myself as an audience member – that’s my main trick of the trade.” It is exactly this simple, yet effective approach that bore its fruits, captivating the audience and providing them with exactly that which has been lost over the years – pure enjoyment, emotion and easy listening.
This heart-warming reception spurred Mr. Shor to create more of what the people desired, taking feedback from the performers and the public alike, without bias to any one party, and in due process refining his style, while growing with confidence to partake in larger scale projects.
Evolution from the initial inception saw a wide gamut of newly created compositions, encompassing a vast assortment of instruments, including pianos, clarinets, violins, saxophones, violas, and cellos, as well as many others. These novel compositions were catered for a variety of ensembles with an assortment of orchestral suites and concertos, as well as honed pieces aimed at solo, duo or trio recitals.
Mr. Alexey Shor stayed true to his conviction and style, which gave a particular distinct shine to his works with a unique neoclassical and neo-romantic flavours, which inevitably conquered the hearts of both seasoned and novel fans of classical music. Transcending all the cultural and geographical limitations, the works of Mr. Shor now grace the venues of the most prestigious musical events around the globe, carrying with them an essence of cultural enlightenment. Filled-to-capacity shows were eagerly anticipated by the public, with a chance to experience the premiere of yet another masterpiece presented in revered locations like Wigmore Hall, Carnegie Hall, Berlin Philharmonie and Vienna Konzerthaus among others, for a wholesome experience that would last a lifetime.
World renowned luminaries, such as Ray Chen, Evgeny Kissin, Mikhail Pletnev, Maxim Vengerov, Steven Isserlis, Gautier Capuçon, Gil Shaham and many others, have taken to the stage performing the works of Alexey Shor. Even though these new compositions are rather unorthodox for contemporary works, going against the settled criterion, due to their beautiful melodies as well as their invigorating feeling, the audience and the performers alike fell deeply in love with them. This in turn has earned Mr. Alexey Shor respect and admiration from both the soloists and ensembles, who cherish the opportunity to perform a new style of music which is reminiscent of and pays tribute to the legends of the past at its core.
Things Former and New
A world renowned British classical pianist Ashley Wass, after his first-ever performance of Alexey Shor’s work, has noted that it was “obviously appealing to the audience but more than that very appealing for the performer too. I think it’s a really powerful piece; what’s been interesting to me is how so many of the themes and the melodies which feature in that work are with me, and that in itself is testament to the quality of the work, the quality of the composition. For me it’s a really valuable addition to the piano repertoire. Obviously, the repertoire for the piano is not short of great works, but I think that this one really stands up to the quality of the other works in the programme”. This is not unusual or a one-off observation, as similar sentiments are mirrored by other musicians who had first-hand experience with Alexey Shor’s compositions.
The secret behind this is no secret at all but rather a matter of the approach employed by Mr. Shor, who speaks to the listener through a language of elevating music, stirring the passions and plucking at dormant emotions. Working on the principle of creating the music he wants to listen to himself, Mr. Shor creates music for everyone, bringing to the masses that which has been longed for over the years – enjoyment for the soul and a break from the mundane. To quote Berthold Auerbach “Music cleanses the soul from the dust and dross of everyday life”.
With a growing popularity and an evident appeal to a wider audience, Mr. Shor’s works started being featured in popular concerts which in turn ended up being broadcast on medici.TV, Mezzo and Euronews. His music has been further showcased by global media giants such as Fox Business News, Bloomberg News, the New Yorker, Yahoo and Huffington Post. Furthermore, the 40th Gramophone Classical Music Awards ceremony in London featured on stage his ‘Overture’ to the Crystal Palace ballet.
All this has set the classical music scene into motion with a noticeable shift among contemporary composers toward a beautiful melodic style so desired by the modern audience, and has positioned Mr. Shor as a standard bearer, and part of the crème de la crème of classical music society. As conductor Marios Papadopoulos noted, “the music of Alexey Shor is lovely music. He is obviously somebody that believes very strongly in melody and in harmony. He is not a composer of the avant-garde school if you like, which is very refreshing, extremely refreshing. This is my own personal opinion, but I believe that music of this kind will have longevity. It is accessible to people, you know, and at the end of the day we are here making music so that you, the listener, with whom we are communicating, can be moved by it, as an experience for you, and I think certainly that his music is very accessible in this way.”
Being a Composer-in-Residence for the Armenian State Symphony Orchestra, and an Associate Composer at the Yehudi Menuhin School, Mr. Shor has his gruelling daily routine set, with many forthcoming events scheduled to showcase his new works. However, in his personal fashion he always strives to reach new heights and explore appropriate available opportunities.
One such opportunity is a pinnacle event known as the Classic Violin Olympus International Competition, with a Grand Finale set to take place in the Emirate of Dubai from 22nd to 28th of April 2025, and it is said to be the most prestigious new event in the world of strings. Another is the 14th edition of the acclaimed InClassica International Music Festival taking place at Dubai Opera in April 2025, which will feature works by historic and contemporary masters, including pieces of Mr. Shor’s, performed by the brightest and most renowned classical musicians of our day.
Needless to say, no matter what the future brings, Mr. Alexey Shor will still continue to grace the audiences with his novel, inspiring and entertaining music for decades to come. His ability to create and deliver, as Mr. Papadopoulos puts it, “extremely refreshing” music will surely persist and leave its mark on the classical music scene for future generations.
For more information visit his website at alexeyshor.com.
