Artists who are taking Shor’s shilling
NewsDescribing itself as ‘as one of the world’s most notable classical music festivals’, InClassica International Music Festival will be resident next April at Dubai Opera ‘with a special edition dedicated to marking the 55th birthday of renowned contemporary composer Alexey Shor’.
Shor is a US hedge-fund millionaire who has drawn a slate of renowned performers to Dubai, among them: violinists Maxim Vengerov, Daniel Lozakovich, Gil Shaham and María Dueñas; violist David Aaron Carpenter; pianist Mikhail Pletnev; cellists Edgar Moreau and Gautier Capuçon; and conductor Lionel Bringuier.
See Van’s recent investigation for further particulars.
There is something very dodgy indeed about this cult of Shor, and InClassica, and any of this organisation that are actually Russian, with ties in Malta and Dubai.
Shor is also deliberately evasive in interviews, claiming to be a simple mathematician who loves creating music. No doubt to try and draw less attention to his dubious background.
Word on the grapevine is that he’s somehow managed to procure five different passports from five different countries (Ukraine, Russian, Maltese, Israeli and American). Why may that be, I wonder.
Is he a good composer? Heavens no. It is subpar gcse standard, and much of it sounds like it was generated by AI.
Good on you Norman for raising a light on him. I think it’s time to discuss who he really is, and where is this money coming from.
Are you offended that they don’t allow you to play or something ?
Maybe his music is not the best, but does it really bother you so much? Is your life so pathetic ?
You need to try to make conspiracy theories for some special reason? Do you need more passports ? What’s your issue ? Or is better than he would spend his money in sports or wonderful politics ?
I always wonder, what does really bother to people who write and complain about his music?
Are you also complaining about the musical performing standards that are very very, let’s say, questionable ?
He donated and support a wonderful music institution, among many other staff, giving and helping young kids, does his “not” great music writing bother you so much and is better not to help the young kids with “real” talent and future ?
Please find something to do and stop criticising people out of jealousy….
Aaand just like that…their PR agents come to the defence of Alexey Shor (which by the way never was his real name). It’s quite telling how this particular PR agent comes along like how Scientologists defend their cult of a religion, with a hysterical amount of question marks.
Funny thing is, with your attitude, you actually confirm something indeed fishy is going on.
I hope they’re paying you nicely to rebuke claims about Shor and his dubious money.
If your sources to speak like this are the ones that brought you that I am a PR agent, your word is worth just zero then and proves that you are just too frustrated to focus on your life. All the best
Where is your evidence that he “donated and support a wonderful music institution” (presuming you mean the Yehudi Menuhin School)?
Exactly how does Shor “help the young kids with ‘real talent and future’”? Do you work at the Menuhin School, and can vouch for the extent to Shor’s involvement?
“Word on the grapevine is that he’s somehow managed to procure five different passports from five different countries (Ukraine, Russian, Maltese, Israeli and American). Why may that be, I wonder.”
There are so many people from the former USSR who hold a Russian passport by birth, an Israeli passport because they first emigrated there, and then an American passport because they moved on to the USA. With regard to Malta, passport collecting through citizenship-by-investment programs became very common among ultra-wealthy individuals during the 2010s. Financial advisors often suggested acquiring further citizenships, if under their umbrella was a firm that specialized in doing all the paperwork for many tens of thousands of dollars; it was a common upsell.
One is right to be suspicious considering how many people using programs like Malta’s gained their vast wealth through dodgy means, but the original VAN investigation did not find that to be the case for Shor, at least not until recently with those links to Russia. Shor’s crime is merely bad taste and corrupting various performers who were once trustworthy barometers for good taste.
Your hunches are absolutely right – the answers to your questions are detailed extensively in the VAN article Norman linked
A shame Pavel Vernikov, who has been helping himself handsomely via Shor & co. (as VAN details), or Boris Brovtsyn aren’t involved in the birthday bash
Brovstyn, Vernikov and violinist Robin Wilson are close colleagues and members of the teaching faculty at the Yehudi Menuhin School. All three were involved in the London round of The Classic Violin Olympus Competition, another Schor funded initiative. Brovstyn aged 39 was a competitor. Vernikov and Wilson sat on the jury. No rewards for guessing who won First Prize! NL is pretty quick off the mark in highlighting Competition irregularities. This shabby set up surely (or in this case Shorly!) takes the biscuit!
Brovtsyn was born in 1977 that makes him 46 or 47
Absolutely right. Norman should do a deep dive into the Classic Violin Olympus Competition (which is run by Pavel Vernikov). No surprises that Ashley Wass invited Vernikov and Brovtsyn to join the Yehudi Menuhin School as teaching staff in 2023.
Here is how everything is connected … the Classic Violin Olympus Competition has been divided into the following cities:
Tokyo (March ‘24): 2nd prizewinner Andrey Baranov (38 yrs old) has premiered and frequently performs Alexey Shor since 2020; 3rd prizewinner Meng Zou studies with juror Qian Zhou.
Vienna (April ‘24): 1st prizewinner Yuki Hirano studies with Vernikov at MUK; 3rd prizewinner Ruifeng Lin studies with juror Vera Tsu-Weiling.
New York (May ‘24): 1st prizewinner Xiao Wang (38 yrs old) studied with juror Lucie Robert.
London (August ‘24): 1st prizewinner Boris Brovtsyn (47 yrs old) is a close friend and colleague at MUK with Vernikov, and was judged by Vernikov and Robin Wilson, his teaching colleague at the Yehudi Menuhin School.
Rome (September ‘24): 1st prizewinner Haik Kazazyan (42 yrs old) has been performing Alexey Shor since 2018.
Are you a musician? Again, did you hear the playing of those guys to be so sure that was not fair? Baranov is first prize queen Elisabeth, are you saying that SHOR has helped him for that also? Boris is one of the best violinist of today and a top musician, for real you tell that is not fair that he is in a final of a big competition? What’s wrong to play for a big prize that will help any great musician to focus on his or her artistry instead of running behind official managers for few months to get paid….
Your little brain and little d are too tiny to comprehend that there are other factors at play, if you think these competitions are black and white and purely about musical merit
Hahaha, please teach us great master
Not only your eye is little I must say, for real are we discussing the qualities of Boris Brovtsyn as a violinist or you think there where anyone better ? You think was not fair? Were you listening ? Is so sad that you just need some noise because of emptiness in your own life.
I am not discussing the quality of Brovstyn’s playing for one single second! Far from it. He is an extremely accomplished player with a wealth of experience. What I am writing about is Competition corruption! I am very surprised that a player of Brovstyn’s stature needs/wants to be embroiled in such a scenario.
Hi, D! Are you friends with ‘Pathetic’ above? Or are you the same person? Judging by your grammar and spaces between words and question marks, it would appear so.
You seem personally offended by the attack on your mate/boss Shor. Is that because he is a family member of yours?
BTW I gather Brovstyn has now resigned from the Yehudi Menuhin School. You seem to know him very well. Perhaps you can shed some light about his departure.
With €20k plus potentially more (Dubai finals) from his pal Vernikov, I suppose Brovtsyn doesn’t need to teach at the Yehudi Menuhin school anymore
Quite. I’m astonished that the school allegedly chooses to look the other way. Money would seem to talk I guess.
Not quite as Shor as he’d have us believe.
And, how does millionair music sound?
Let’s hear.
A violin sonata:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZC5QFwXyE0k
A cello concerto:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XBcJBD6PCP0
A piano concerto:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GyAwdJVsh04
A violin concerto (hilarious):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qBeUSj0ab5w
For the professional ear, this is all fake music, full of voice leading mistakes, in fact: cheap entertainment music dressed-up as ‘classical’.
With money you can buy everything, including your performers. except talent.
Vengerov’s unfortunate corduroy outfit is even worse than the sonata.
What a shame that an august institution such as the Yehudi Menuhin School seems to have unwittingly(?) become involved with Shor’s shady arena of dodgy dealings and “funny” money. Shor was appointed Associate Composer at the school in 2022. The Director of Music, Ashley Wass, speaks highly of his work.
Not unwittingly, I’m afraid. According to VAN, Shor is the Yehudi Menuhin School’s first Associate Composer.
And Ashley Wass has not only spoken highly of his work, but completed a 9-concert UK tour backed by CMDI (the shadily funded organization that supports Shor), judged CMDI competitions and gave masterclasses for CMDI.
Great life lessons for the kids, eh?
What a shame indeed. This Director of Music is obviously in the wrong place.
well.. Ashley Wass has a lot to answer to? Is it time for the School Governor to look into it?
I work in Armenia and Shor is currently the Composer in Residence of the Armenian State Symphony Orchestra. A decent orchestra but Shor features in every single concert, sadly – almost weekly; not least in that there is a lot of very good Armenian music that needs to be better known and publicised.
Thanks for that, Tara.
I believe Shor was (is?) also composer in residence of the Malta Phiharmonic.
His works featured very prominently in concerts conducted by Sergey Smbatyan with the Malta Philharmonic Orchestra. Smbatyan is the founder artistic director and principal conductor of the Armenian State Symphony Orchestra.
Poor Armenia! Performance space being bought-up by an imposter.
Armenia has more than enough other music to compensate: I have rarely seen so much world-class culture per square mile as in Yerevan. Daily, I am astounded by how culturally rich this country is! It’s a privilege to witness it.
It’s incredibly disappointing to see your conclusions drawn without a full understanding of this orchestra’s concert season. Armenian composers are in the very DNA of this orchestra and people naturally associate it with that. Today’s concert (October 10 is proof of this and I am personally going to enjoy the music of Armenian composers. I really recommend you check out the concert here and attend it https://www.armsymphony.am/en/concert/tigran_mansurian_fantasy_no_1_hayk_melikyan_sergey_smbatyan
I am already doing so. I have a stronger understanding than you may suppose.
Finally Slipped Disc is talking about the absolute best living composer of the Eastern Block!
I feel so sorry for the musicians who agreed to perform his music and congratulate to the fine musicians who rejected learning Shor’s so called music!
Some keywords for people who like to dig more:
Wagner konservatorium, Del Gesu foundation, Khachaturian competition, Armen/Sergey Smbatyan.
Really surprising that a musician of such standing as Ashley Wass, Director of Music at the Menuhin School, has fallen for the charlatan charms of Alexey Shor. Not sure whether Wass completely comprehends the magnitude of disrepute he has brought on the school by appointing Shor as Associate Composer. Wass is well known for his dislike of Schubert. He describes Shor’s music as “distinctive, communicative and deeply moving”. God help the current Menuhin School pupils!
Quite. And even if Shor turns out to be legit financially (despite the sheer number of warning signs), the question is how do you rate his behavior ethically? What is the school implicitly telling the kids? That it is fine to buy in your concerto performances? And is the school really implying this is great music? I’m astonished.
https://slippedisc.com/2024/10/maestro-wins-190k-for-wrongful-dismissal/
Rumour has it that ex Principal conductor Brian Schembri’s problems with the management of the Malta Philharmonic and the government of Malta started when he refused to include “composer” Alexey Shor’s works in his programmes.
At least the high profile performers get paid to swallow their pride. What are these poor kids at Menuhin School supposed to get or learn from playing Shor’s music?
Wass appoints Shor and then accepts a string of 9 concerts? And the school is OK with that?
Are Alexey Shor compositions upholding high standards of the Yehudi Menuhin School? I am in dismay for talented pupils forced to spend valuable time on them.
‘Tis the Set of the Sail
But to every mind there openeth,
A way, and way, and away
A high soul climbs the highway,
And the low soul gropes the low,
And in between on the misty flats,
The rest drift to and fro.
But to every man there openeth,
A high way and a low,
And every mind decideth,
The way his soul shall go.
One ship sails East,
And another West,
By the self-same winds that blow,
‘Tis the set of the sails
And not the gales,
That tells the way we go.
Like the winds of the sea
Are the waves of time,
As we journey along through life,
‘Tis the set of the soul,
That determines the goal,
And not the calm or the strife.
by Ella Wheeler Wilcox
Life is like riding a bicycle. To keep your balance, you must keep moving.
by Albert Einstein
Interesting there is not mention of Shor on the Menuhin School website. All the other associate artists are there.
Maybe they bury him now the touring opportunity is over?
Ah! The School website is seemingly unreliable. Brovstyn, despite his departure is still apparently on the teaching role. Perhaps he forgot to let the School know he was leaving. He must be busy practising for Dubai.
According to the most updated staff list (https://www.menuhinschool.co.uk/school/information/staff), it seems that Boris Brovtsyn has left the school, and has been replaced by Natalia Lomeiko and Valeriy Sokolov (who Pavel Vernikov had appointed as a judge in his Rome Classic Violin Competition – Shor-ly a small world, eh?)
Well spotted! However in the link to the violin/viola department Brovstyn is still on board. Ah well- websites! Simply a case of right hand not knowing what the left hand is doing. Pretty essential stuff though if you are a string player!
They seem to have removed Shor’s name when this all came out, as his name was still there until the summer term
A swift exercise in damage control