Arkady Gotesman

Arkady Gotesman is one of the most resourceful Lithuanian percussionists. In addition to playing jazz, he performs contemporary academic music, writes scenarios for performances and installations, composes, records and performs music for theatre, silent film taper, collaborates with dancers. Arkady Gotesman teaches drums at Jazz Department of Vilnius Academy of Music and Arts.

Gotesman’s percussion can be heard in Oskaras Koršunovas’ theatre productions, and Anatolijus Šenderovas’ ballet Desdemona, choreographer Loreta Juodkaitė’s production “To Disobey”. Together with actress Dalia Michelevičiūtė he designed a theatre project “The Station in the City N” by W.Szymborska’s poetry. The percussionist collaborates with writers; his music is featured on a CD with essayist Rolandas Rastauskas’ poems. Inspired by J. Brodsky’s poems he recorded solo album J. Brodsky in memoriam.

Recently, the percussionist has been preoccupied with theatrical vocabulary. In 2010, Gotesman invited his audience to his first one-man play “The Story of the God’s Man”. He is a script and music writer as well as actor in this play. 2011 together with visual artists Linas Liandzbergis and Artūras Valiauga he presented his new project “Percussion Postcards”. . In 2011 yet different kind of theatre can be found in his jazz and Yiddish music quartet in which he teams up with singer Rafailas Karpis, pianist Darius Mažintas and saxophonist Petras Vyšniauskas. Recently, he collaborated with actor Arūnas Sakalauskas in a musical reading “The Last Prophet of Vilnius”, 2012.

Arkady Gotesman is the author of ideas as well as creator and performer of different style improvised performances and projects as follows:
— Cveig‘s novels „The Letter from the Stranger“ (performed by actor Egle Gabrėnaite, sax player Petras Vyšniauskas, dancer Jovita Groblyte, author of the idea and percussion player Arkady Gotesman),
— Theater play „The Station in the City N“ (poetry of Wislawa Szymborska, performed by actor Dalia Michelevičiūte and Arkady Gotesman, the author of the idea of this play, music writer, and percussion player),
— Documentary “The Meeting” about the life of Jews in Lithuania until 1941 (Arkady Gotesman is a director of the film),
— Dance play "Disobey“ staged at the „National Drama Theatre“ (performed by dancer Loreta Juodkaitė and Arkady Gotesman, the author of the idea of this play, music writer, and percussion player),
— Philosophical readings based on Martin Buber‘s „You and Me“ at the „Vilnius Small Theater“ (performed by philosopher Lionidas Donskis, sax player Petras Vyšniauskas, guitar Juozas Milašius, and percussion player Arkady Gotesman),
— Theater play “My Life“ (poetry of Mark Chagall), „Vilnius Small Theater“ (performed by the double bass player Vladimir Volkov, trumpet player Viacheslav Gaivoronski, piano player Sergey Okrushko, dancer Goda Laurinaviciute, Adomas Gotesman in the role of Chagall, and Arkady Gotesman, the author of the idea of this play, music writer, and percussion player),
— Autobiographical one man play „The story of the God‘s Man“„National Drama Theatre“, (performed by Arkady Gotesman, the author of the idea of this play, music and text writer and actor).
— Musical reading „The Tree besides the Theater“ (an excerpt from the novel „The Last Prophet of Vilnius“ of Abram Karpinovich) performed by Liudas Mockunas (reeds), actor Arunas Sakalauskas, Arkady Gotesman, the author of the idea and percussion player.
— Theatrical drum solo play „Percussion postcards“ with dedications to Freud, Brodsky, Ravel, Miles Davis, Nureyev, poetess Silvia Platt (performed by Arkady Gotesman, the author of the idea of this play, percussionist).
— Project „Drummer‘s stories“ (conversation between two drummers performed by Tim Daysi (USA) and the author of the idea of this play, music writer, and percussion player Arkady Gotesman).

Arkady Gotesman also receives invitations to improvise symphonic compositions with chamber and symphony orchestras.

Compositions dedicated to Arkady Gotesman are the following:
Osvaldas Balakauskas „Spring Psalms“ (2013),for percussion and chamber orchestra
Viacheslav Ganelin "DUSIACH" (2009). Duo trumpet and percussion.

On jazz scene, Gotesman has collaborated with the following musicians:
— Percussionists - Changhito, Vladimir Tarasov, Freddy Shtuder, J.Baron ,Tim Daysi.
— Singers - Vladimiras Prudnikovas, Kantor- Joseph Malovani, Eska Mvuzgari (UK).
— Piano players - Viačeslavas Ganelinas, Julian Joseph, Anthony Coleman, Andrei Razin.
— Reeds - John Jorn, Charles Gayle, Petras Vyšniauskas, Ned Rothenberg, Abram Fefer, Albert Beger, Mikolaj Trazska, Waclav Zimpel.
— Cello player - Davidas Geringas.
— Double-bass players - Barry Gay, Dominik Duval, Jack Siron, Brade Jones, F. Pilinger, Vladimir Volkov, J.Cload Jones.
— Trumpet players - Dave Daglas, Frank London, Viačeslav Gaivoronsky, Kasper. Show less