Arkadij Gotesman
Associate Professor at the LMTA Jazz Department. Subjects: Drum Sets and Percussions. Languages: English (C2), Hebrew (C2), Russian (C2).
Arkady Gotesman, one of the most resourceful and versatile Lithuanian percussionists and composers, is also enjoying repute as a poet, theatre director, teacher, producer, spiritus movens of Vilnius Klezmer Orchestra and artistic director of two music festivals.
He composes, records and performs music for theatre; writes scenarios for musical performances and installations; organises projects with dancers, writers, actors, and visual artists; and appears in personal shows.
Arkady Gotesman has a gift to discover new venues for jazz in periphery and enrich his projects with the participation of the world’s jazz luminaries. He has collaborated with exponents of various trends including Roland Dahinden, Vladimir Volkov, Vyacheslav Gaivoronsky, Arkady Shilkloper, Julian Joseph, John Zorn, Jack Siron, Frank London, Anthony Coleman, Charles Gayle, Tim Daisy, Joey Baron, Barry Guy, Dominic Duval, Dave Douglas, Albert Beger, Martin Küchen, Mark Tokar, Warren Smith, and Andrew Lamb.
In Lithuania, the percussionist has regularly been working with Vyacheslav Ganelin, Petras Vyšniauskas, Vladimir Tarasov, Dmitrij Golovanov, and Jan Maksimovich.
Gotesman is an enthusiast of silent movies; as a taper with various international musicians, he promulgates the genre in Lithuania.
The percussionist plays not only jazz, but also contemporary academic music. He has performed world premieres of works by Osvaldas Balakauskas, Anatolijus Šenderovas, Zita Bružaitė and Šarūnas Nakas, among others. Moreover, he is the organiser of the Klezmer Music Festival in Vilnius, the artistic director of Šeduva Percussion Festival, and the founder of Theatrum solius quadri.
In 2018, Gotesman was honoured with Birštonas Jazz International Festival Grand Prix, and in 2015 – was presented with Vilnius Jazz Award for contributions to the Lithuanian jazz.
Arkady Gotesmas has been on the teaching staff of the Lithuanian Music Academy and Theatre since 2002.