Evgeni Orkin

Since the 25-26 season EVGENI ORKIN is 'Composer in Residence' of the JCOM.

He is the author of eleven chamber symphonies, seven grand symphonies, solo concertos for violin, piano, saxophone, and clarinet, the oratorio Anne's Passion based on texts from the diaries of Anne Frank, the opera Magister Ludi , several musical theatre works, and a large number of chamber music pieces. For the JCOM, he has already composed the full-length Klezmer singspiel Mendele Lohengrin (2025) , the musical stage play The Keys of Toledo - The Music of the Sephardic Jews (2025), and a festival overture. He also regularly arranges individual pieces for the JCOM.

Born in 1977 in Lviv, Ukraine, Evgeni Orkin initially studied clarinet and composition with Yevhen Stankovych at the National Music Academy in Kyiv. Further studies followed at the music academies in Utrecht and Mannheim, studying clarinet, conducting, and composition with Ulrich Leyendecker and Ernst Bechert.

Evgeni Orkin works closely with many renowned artists, including Patricia Kopatchinskaja , Sol Gabetta, Oksana Lyniv, Andrii Murza, Alexey Semenenko, Alexander Gordon, Giora Feidman, Hobart Earl, and Sebastian Lastein. As a clarinetist, he has made a name for himself through premieres of new works , including pieces dedicated to him by Silverstrov, Stankowych, Andrikopoulos, Corté-Real, Bechert, and Hermann.

His works are regularly performed at international festivals, including the Kont raste Festival in Lviv, the Kyiv Music Festival, the New Music Festival in Odesa, the Heidelberger Frühling and the Gstaad Menuhin Festival, the Vienna Music Weeks, the Weimar Art Festival, Young Euro Classics and the Lucerne Music Festival.

Evgeni Orkin has received numerous awards, including the 2023 European Composition Prize. His works enjoy increasing popularity among musicians and audiences. Since 2025, his works have been published by Universal Edition.