Alexander Levine   Folie for solo viola duration: 12 minutes I – Folie; II – Omen; III – Images at Lares Folie is all about passion. The meaning of the word refers us to basic human aspirations. I entrust the viola with the task of conveying one’s ambitions onto the highest degree of attainment during his lifetime. Omen is a psychological study about intuition and mystical revelation. This is how one’s life experience might be poerceived. Images at Lares (Life is nothing but a short dream). This is an attempt of human consciousness to apprehend one’s existential experience in an instance. Alexander Levine was born in Moscow. He studied piano from the age of 7 at the Gnessin Music School and later he took up the clarinet. Upon graduation he was offered a place at the Moscow Gnessin Music Academy where he studied in 1976-1980. During these years he also held a position of Principal Clarinet in the Orchestra of Russian National Orchestra of Radio and Television and shortly after joining the Orchestra he began to contribute as arranger and composer. In the following years he established himself as a composer working in collaboration with a variety of orchestras in Russia, theatres, television and film industry. His compositions won awards of the all-Russia Annual Prise of the National Radio and Television in 1989/1990/1991. Since 1992 Alexander Levine lives in the UK. In 1993-1995 he studied on the Advanced Postgraduate Composition Course at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama. He also did his MA in Composition at the GSMD in 1995. In 1994 he was commissioned to write incidental music for the GSMD production of War and Peace (Director Peter Clough), which was performed live by symphony orchestra on stage. "The Times" commented on this work: "It is not often you go to the theatre and get an orchestra thrown in: not providing cues for numbers but underscoring dialogue with a grand swell, like a soundtrack for the big screen" (Kate Basset, The Times, October 29th , 1994) His successful collaboration with the GSMD Theatre continued and in 1995 he was engaged as music director on the restoration of The Beggar's Opera, and in 1996 Alexander Levine composed the incidental music for the GSMD production of Love's Labour's Lost (Director Di Trevis). At present Alexander Levine works mainly in the field of contemporary music. His music is performed and broadcast in the UK and abroad. Back to shortlist.