Roman Stolyar (b. December 6, 1967) graduated from Novosibirsk musical college as jazz pianist, and then received Master degree at Novosibirsk State Conservatoire as composer of contemporary classical and electronic music. During studying jazz at the college Roman chose the way of contemporary and free jazz enriched by elements of classical composing and folk roots. His first project - a duo together with excellent drummer Mikhail Wolfovitch - was formed in 1990; then, after Andrey Turygin, alto saxophone player, joined them, they started to perform as STS trio. Soon their group was invited to join the ALOHA project according to USSR - USA intercultural program, and they spent two weeks in Hawaii in January 1991.

After graduating from Conservatoire he continued his career as a jazz pianist playing in different collectives (including ALTER EGO, the jazz duo together with Andrey Turygin, and NEW GENERATION leaded by brilliant tenor saxophonist Vladimir Timofeyev). Besides, he created a number of compositions in modern "classical" manner but with elements of free improvisation. His music became soon known thanks to his collaboration with Pavel Sharomov vocal ensemble that commissioned him three cantatas and a large stuff of arrangements for them. He also made some works for theatres and, ultimately, was invited as a principal composer to Novosibirsk Academic Theater "Globe" in September 2000. As an educator he works at the jazz department of Novosibirsk musical college where he has developed his own training course "Theoretical Foundations of Jazz Improvisation".

In the year 2000 he and young singer Yelena Silantieva created a new duo called SHANTI which now gives Roman the opportunity to manifest his skills in a way of integration of different kinds of music - including jazz, rock and electronic music. Another group Roman created recently is free improvising trio TRIGRAFICA which has made its successful performances on different art exhibitions in Novosibirsk.

As a piano improviser, Roman Stolyar has participated in many festivals and concerts of jazz, improvisation and contemporary music in Russia, Ukraine, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Slovenia, Poland, Denmark and UK. He has collaborated with many outstanding musicians including Anatoly Vapirov (Bulgaria), Youry Kuznetsov (Ukraine), Carl Bergstroem-Nielsen (Denmark), Hans Schuettler, Heinz-Erich Goedecke, Ge-Suk Yeo (Germany), free jazz groups Kieloor Entartet and "Day & Taxi" (Switzerland), "Duo Havlovi" (Czech Republic), folk band "Lot Lorien" (Bulgaria) and others. He has released CDs under the labels of Ermatell Records (Novosibirsk) and Electroshock Records (Moscow).

In February 2000 Roman Stolyar was chosen a member of Russian Composers' Union.

List of compositions

1992

Music OBERIU, vocal cycle for bass voice and piano

Trakai Suite, for three recorders and harpsichord1993

Ave Maria, for soprano and piano

CREDO RS, concerto for soloist-improviser and tape

1994

An American Screenplay, trio for clarinet, bassoon and piano

1995

Jabberwocky, chamber cantata for five voices, string quartet and harpsichord

1996

Con Fusion, concerto for jazz orchestra
Without Don Juan, music for modern ballet (realized on synthesizer)

1997

The Gospel of William Blake, cantata for five voices, strings and drums

1998

Everything Or Nothing? (for piano solo)

1999

Awakening, poem for orchestra
Meditation, for soprano recorder and tape

2000

Songs of the Seasons, vocal suite for female voice, piano/recorders and tape
Another Side of Rock, 12 arrangements of rock songs for five voices, strings and rock band
Divertimento in Rock, for string orchestra

2001

A Book of Christmas, cantata for soloists, choir and symphony orchestra

2002

Requiem Rag (tribute to John Cage) for piano solo

Music for theatres

Don't You Feel Hot? (1993, theatre Red Torch)
Pippi Long Stocking (1994, theatre studio Smile)
The Golden Key (1996, theatre studio Smile)
Nafanya and Friends (1996, theatre Old House)
Gamblers (2000, theatre Globe, directed by Alexander Galibin, Sankt Petersburg)
Marquise De Sad (2001, theatre Globe, directed by Igor Lysov, Moscow)
Bembi (2002, theatre Globe, directed by Alexei Kriklivy, Krasnoyarsk)

Discography

a). Compilation CDs

New Generation - Journal of Jazz Immunology (Ermatell Records JCD009, 1996) - one track
Denmark's Intuitive Music Conference - Sound Scapes (Ermatell Records JCD 042, 2002) - track with Blaise Siwula (USA)

b). Solo CDs

Credo (Electroshock Records ELCD 034, 2003)