Siergiej Wowkotrub

Siergiej Wowkotrub (was born in 1964 in Ukraine.) – classical and jazz violinist, composer, a member of the quartet Sergei Wowkotrub Gypsy Swing Quartet.

He is a graduate of the prestigious Tchaikovsky Music Conservatory in Kiev in violin class of prominent professor A. I. Bazhenov. Although he began doctoral studies in Kiev in the early 90s, he decided to go to Poland. On the invitation of the then director of the Częstochowa Philharmonic Symphony Orchestra, Jerzy Kosek, he takes a position as violinist and he's rather quickly promoted to first violins of the orchestra. Associated with Czestochowa professionally and privately he finds in Poland his second homeland.

Simultaneously with a symphony career Siergiei Wowkotrub effectively develops his passion for syncopated music. His fascination with traditional jazz started already in the conservatory. He listened to Leonid Utiosow then discovered Stephane Grappelli and the whole universe of violin gypsy swing. As a jazzman he developed his skills at Maciej Strzelczyk and Wojtek Kaminski then at Tim Kliphuis. Siergiei founds in Częstochowa his first band named Siergiej Wowkotrub Trio.

Three musicians (besides Siergiej Andrzej Nowicki and Daniel Pomorski) played actively and in 2007 recorded their first CD „Happy Times” with swing music from the twenties and thirties of the twentieth century.In his interpretations of standards and his own compositions Siergiei Wowkotrub tries to combine natural beauty, similar to the human voice, the pure sound of the violin with a unique atmosphere of the Golden Age of Swing. The twenties and thirties of the twentieth century are the constant references of his music fascination as well as the performance technique.

In 2011 starts its activity Siergiej Wowkotrub Gypsy Swing Quartet (SWGSQ). With guitarists Sebastian Ruciński, Tomasz Wójcik and contrabassist Piotr Górka,young and extremely talented graduates of the Department of Jazz and Popular Music at the Music Academy in Katowice, Siergiej Wowkotrub creates another record. “Joseph, Joseph” is an example of virtuoso interpretations of the swing standards. The CD material is dominated by the mood of Stephane Grappelli andDjango Reinhardt, there are echoes of the Gypsy camp and in solo performances of the leader is heard eastslavic tune and the discipline of academic education.

Siergiej Wowkotrub as a classical and jazz virtuoso violinist shows himself on the biggest festivals of gypsy swing in all Europe. In 2001-2015 he gave concerts in: Poland, Germany, France, Belgium, Slovakia and Hungary.

Guest participation in CD recordings

• "Bix & Henryk" (2006)
• "New Orleans Suite" (2007)
• "Jubilee" - Five O'Clock Orchestra (2015)

Collaborations

• "Jazz Band Ball Orchestra" (Cracow)
• "Swing Workshop of Wojtek Kamiński" (Warsaw)
• "Five O'Clock Orchestra" (Czestochowa)
• "Hot D'Jazz Trio" (Cracow)
• Joscho Stephan (Mönchengladbach)
• – Lora Szafran (Warsaw)
• Tim Kliphuis (Hilversum)
• Vano Bamberger (Frankfurt)

As a leader he has recorded CDs

• Siergiej Wowkotrub Trio "Happy Times" (2007)
• SWGSQ "Joseph, Joseph" (2013)

• first place in a competition "Debut in Traditional Jazz" organized by the Foundation Debut as an Author and the Ministry of Culture, Warsaw 10.11.2005
• “Golden Washboard" main prize at the traditional jazz competition Old Jazz Meeting, Iława 11-13.08.2006
• The Bronze Medal for Long Service awarded by the President of Poland, Warsaw 30.08.2010
• Honorary Badge for Service to Polish Culture by Polish Minister of Culture and Heritage, Warsaw 24.09.2014