Ruslan Sirota
{{Short description|Ukrainian-born American musician}}
{{Infobox musical artist
| name = Ruslan Sirota
| image =Ruslan_Sirota,_2015.png
| background = non_vocal_instrumentalist
| instrument = Piano, keyboards, organ
| occupation = Musician, producer, composer
| years_active = 1996–present
| associated_acts = Stanley Clarke, Josh Groban
}}
Ruslan Sirota is a Grammy Award winning{{cite web|url=http://www.grammy.com/nominees|title=Grammy nominees and winners|date=Feb 13, 2011|publisher=Grammy.com|accessdate=Feb 14, 2011}}{{cite web | url=http://www.zimbio.com/pictures/fwj0_wQzOLD/53rd+Annual+GRAMMY+Awards+Press+Room/pobJks9-SOR | title=The 53rd Annual Grammy Awards – Press Room | last=Djansezian | first=Kevork | date=Feb 13, 2011 | publisher=Zimbio/Getty Images | quote=Ronald Bruner Jr. and Ruslan Sirota accept the Best Contemporary Jazz Album award on behalf of the {{sic|hide=y}} The Stanley Clarke Band for "The Stanley Clarke Band" in the press room at The 53rd Annual Grammy Awards held at Staples Center on February 13, 2011 in Los Angeles, California. | accessdate=Feb 14, 2011}} pianist, composer, and producer.
Early life
Ruslan was born in Uman, Ukraine to a Jewish family on November 4, 1980. His father, Yefim, who was an active local guitarist, introduced him to music at an early age. Picking up guitar around the age of four, Ruslan transitioned to piano around the age of seven. In 1990, his family moved to Israel, where he continued to study piano at the Bat-Yam music school. At approximately 14, Ruslan discovered jazz, instantly showing interest. By the age of 16, he was the "wunderkind" keyboardist for the then-popular Israeli jazz fusion band, "Confusion". With Confusion, he toured Israel and made several appearances at the Red Sea Jazz Festival.{{cite web|url=http://www.jazz.ru/eng/pages/sirota/default.htm|title=Biography|publisher=Jazz.ru|accessdate=Nov 8, 2009}}
At 18, Ruslan auditioned for the Berklee College of Music, where he received full tuition scholarship, and moved to Boston in January 2000. During his studies at Berklee, Ruslan displayed growing interest in R&B, funk and soul music, playing with local artists and eventually becoming the resident keyboardist in a club called "Wally's Jazz Café".
Later life and career
Circa 2004, Ruslan joined the Stanley Clarke band{{cite web|url=http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2005/dec/02/20051202-101220-1380r/|title=Stanley Clarke: His bass is hit; Jazz legend plays at Blues Alley|last=Sullivan|first=Stefan|date=Dec 3, 2005|publisher=The Washington Times|accessdate=June 17, 2010|quote=Keyboardist Ruslan Sirota[...]displayed not only solid old school chops[...]but also the technical wizardry that Mr. Clarke's fusion idiom seems to demand.}}{{cite web|url=http://www.concordmusicgroup.com/albums/The-Stanley-Clarke-Band/|title=The Stanley Clarke Band|publisher=Concord Music Group|accessdate=July 8, 2010|quote=“Ruslan is becoming a recognizable force in the music world,” Clarke notes. “He is one of the few musicians I’m aware of that knows a thousand songs. He has a unique understanding of the jazz language.”}} and moved to Los Angeles, thus marking the beginning of his professional career.{{cite web|url=http://www.cduniverse.com/search/xx/music/artist/Ruslan+Sirota/a/Ruslan+Sirota.htm|title=Ruslan Sirota Discography and Music|publisher=CD Universe|accessdate=June 20, 2010}}{{cite web|url=http://www.artistdirect.com/artist/credits/ruslan-sirota/4437344|title=Ruslan Sirota Credits|publisher=Artistdirect|accessdate=July 18, 2010}}{{cite web|url=http://www.barnesandnoble.com/s/?store=music&ctr=1807138&ourl=artist/ruslan-sirota|title=Ruslan Sirota|publisher=Barnes & Noble|accessdate=September 25, 2011}}
Since then, Ruslan has been touring, performing and recording with artists such as Black Eyed Peas, Chick Corea, Kanye West, Kamasi Washington, Thundercat, Seal, Josh Groban, Ne-Yo, George Duke, Marcus Miller, Al Jarreau, Victor Wooten, Eric Benét, Rachelle Ferrell, Larry Carlton, Los Angeles Philharmonic and countless others. Ruslan released his self-titled debut album, featuring Clarke, Corea and George Duke as special guests, on October 24, 2011. The album was produced by Ruslan and Clarke, released on Bungalo Records and distributed by Universal Music Group Distribution.{{cite web | url=https://music.apple.com/us/album/ruslan/472373968 | title=Ruslan by Ruslan | publisher=iTunes Store | date=October 24, 2011 | access-date=November 2, 2011}}{{cite web | url=https://www.amazon.com/Ruslan-Sirota/dp/B005L24M7Y | title=Ruslan: Ruslan Sirota | website=Amazon | date=October 24, 2011 | accessdate=November 2, 2011}}
Ruslan is also a board member of the Magic Music Foundation, a non-profit organization devoted to granting scholarships to music students worldwide, regardless of their choice of music teachers and/or schools.{{cite web|url=https://www.nme.com/awards/video/id/T2A_4G6t0k8/search/org|title=Ruslan Sirota for magicmusicfoundation.org|publisher=NME|accessdate=June 20, 2010}}
Discography
=As leader=
- 2023: Fruits of the Midi
- 2019: A Lifetime Away
- 2011: Ruslan
=As sideman or guest=
- 1998: Customade by Confusion
- 2007: The Toys of Men by Stanley Clarke
- 2008: Thunder by S.M.V.
- 2008: Conflict by Sy Smith
- 2009: The Quiet Hype by Jupiter Rising
- 2010: The Stanley Clarke Band by Stanley Clarke (also contributing the composition "Soldier"{{cite web|url=http://www.notreble.com/buzz/2010/06/15/a-review-of-the-stanley-clarke-band/|title=A Review of "The Stanley Clarke Band"|last=Wain|first=Phil|publisher=No Treble|date=June 15, 2010|accessdate=July 8, 2010|quote=Ruslan Sirota's "Soldier" opens the proceedings; the Ukrainian born, former child-prodigy wrote the piece to frame his concerns about continuing global conflict.}})
- 2010: Lost in Time by Eric Benét
- 2011: Platinum Hit: The Winning Songs, Season One
- 2013: In This Life by Virgil Donati
- 2015: Stages by Josh Groban
- 2018: Quartet by Bob Reynolds
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- {{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/20040811014116/http://www.ruslanmusic.com/ Ruslan Sirota's official webpage]}}
- [https://www.youtube.com/user/SIRUS80 Ruslan Sirota's YouTube channel]
- [http://www.elementsofjazz.com/home/2010/7/15/chick-corea-bands-great-jb-performance-tour-schedule.html Chick Corea Band's great JB performance + tour schedule!]
- [http://stage.co.il/Authors/ItayLasky Itay Lasky at New Stage.co.il commemorates the music of Confusion] (in Hebrew)
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Sirota, Ruslan}}
Category:Entertainers from Cherkasy Oblast
Category:Jewish Ukrainian musicians
Category:Ukrainian emigrants to Israel
Category:Berklee College of Music alumni
Category:American jazz pianists
Category:American male jazz pianists
Category:21st-century American keyboardists