JULIA GOMELSKAYA (1964—2016) was a composer, PhD in Art Studies, Associate Professor, member of the Board of the National Union of Composers of Ukraine, the New Music Association (ISCM), and the British Academy of Composers; laureate of international competitions and the Borys Liatoshynsky Prize; founder of the Odesa Regional Competition for Young Composers Art of Composition.

She graduated from the Odesa State A. V. Nezhdanova Music Academy (composition class of O. Krasotov, 1990), where she was also a lecturer beginning in 1991. She undertook training at the International Gaudeamus Composers’ Course (Amsterdam, Netherlands, 1994) and masterclasses at the Opera and Theatre Lab (Kent, UK, 1996). In 1995, on a competitive basis, she received a scholarship from the Guildhall School of Music and Drama (London, UK) for postgraduate studies (under Professor Robert Saxton). In 1996, she earned the degree of Master of Music in Composition with distinction, defended at City University of London.

During her studies at GSMD, she won six Guildhall composition competitions, including the Witold Lutosławski Prize, established by Chester Music Publishers (UK), and two of her works were published as part of the required repertoire for GSMD entrance examinations. In 1997, she won a grant for doctoral studies in composition at the University of Sussex (UK).

She participated in numerous international festivals, forums, and projects in Ukraine (National Festival of Contemporary Music Kyiv Music Fest, Musical Premieres of the Season, International Festival of Contemporary Arts Two Days and Two Nights of New Music) and abroad (Belgium, UK, Germany, France, Spain, Switzerland, Sweden, Romania, Poland, Hungary, Moldova, Armenia, Lithuania, USA, China, etc.), including the World Music Days of the International Society of Contemporary Music (ISCM) (Croatia, Sweden, Switzerland, Hong Kong, Luxembourg); Florilège de Tours (France), the 48th Venice Biennale (Italy), FMF (Switzerland), Mayfield Festival (UK), and Spitalfields Festival (UK).

Her creative legacy includes two ballets — Jane Eyre and Fates. Jane Eyre was commissioned by the London Children’s Ballet (premiere at the Wimbledon Theatre, UK, 1997), restaged in 2008 by the London Children’s Ballet at the Peacock Theatre, and released on DVD. The ballet Fates was commissioned by the Odesa National Academic Opera and Ballet Theatre in collaboration with choreographer-director Serhiy Kon in 2016, and it remains in the repertoire today.

For symphony orchestra, she composed four symphonies (SymPhobia, Ukraine Forever, Magnit, Ra-Aeternae), a number of short-form works, concertos for violin and piano, as well as other pieces for various ensembles involving chamber and wind orchestra. She also created numerous works for various choral, chamber-vocal, and chamber-instrumental ensembles. Among Julia Gomelskaya’s works are music for theatrical productions and electronic compositions.

Commissioned works include: From the Bottom of the Soul for the Swedish Yggdrasil String Quartet; Waiting for mezzo-soprano (Sarah Walker) and piano (Malcolm Martineau); the opera-scene The Divine Sarah for Sarah Walker; Zig-Net-Zag for the ensemble Klangheimlich; The Riot for wind orchestra for the Guildhall School of Music and Drama Festival; Out of Gravitation for the Amaltea Ensemble.

Her music was recorded for the National Radio of Ukraine and for radio stations in the United Kingdom, Switzerland, France, and Belgium. In 2002, her chamber opera The Divine Sarah, with a libretto by Michael Irwin, was recorded by BBC Radio 3 (London). In 2008, her author’s CD of chamber works was released with the support of the Swiss Pro Helvetia Foundation, Sordino Ediziuns Musicalas. Julia Gomelska’s works were published by the Guildhall School of Music and Drama and by Micropress (UK).