Pianist and composer Vadim Neselovskyi—praised by The New York Times for his “finely wrought detail and glinting elegance,” recognized by The Guardian for his “extraordinary playing,” and described by All About Jazz as “a composer who blends form and freedom in new ways”—presents Perseverantia, a powerful suite for piano and string trio.

As a Ukrainian artist, Neselovskyi brings profound emotional depth to this work, which reflects on compassion, resilience, and the endurance of the human spirit. While inspired by the ongoing tragedy in Ukraine, Perseverantia transcends politics—it is a universal meditation on courage and hope in times of struggle.

Musically, the piece bridges worlds: blending the lyricism of Eastern European folk traditions with post-war avant-garde textures, minimalistic patterns, and metal-influenced grooves. The result is a sound world that is both intimate and explosive, architectural yet deeply emotional.

The recording—executive produced by John Zorn—will be released on Tzadik Records on February 24, 2026. For his Roulette performance, Neselovskyi teams up with leading figures of New York’s contemporary music scene: violinist Pauline Kim Harris, violist Celia Hatton, and cellist Andrew Janss.

Pauline Kim Harris violin
Celia Hatton viola
Andrew Janss cello
Vadim Neselovskyi piano, composition

“Placing exhilarating piano improvisations in the context of gorgeous compositions for classical string trio, Perseverantia is Vadim’s greatest work to date.” –Tzadik Records

“Vadim Neselovskyi’s … pianism shares the qualities of a sculpture carved in ice: finely wrought detail, sharply traced; glinting elegance; coolness to the touch; refractions of light. His right and left hands converse with each other in eager, enchanted dialogue.” –The New York Times

Neselovskyi’s background is as multifaceted as his music. Born in Odesa, trained in Germany, and now based in Boston—where he serves as a professor at Berklee College of Music and MIT—he has forged a career bridging genres and continents. His collaborators include Gary Burton, John Zorn, Arkady Shilkloper, and Julian Lage, among others. His previous album, Odesa, was named one of The Boston Globe’s Best Albums of 2022 and featured by The New York Times as one of the “Five Classical Albums You Can Check Out Now.”

A livestream will be available free of charge at 8pm on the day of the performance and archived for future viewing.

As a young composer and pianist growing up in Odesa, Ukraine, Vadim Neselovskyi discovered that his calling was not to follow any one stylistic path but to become a “creator of music.” He’s long since fulfilled that early promise in myriad ways both inventive and unexpected: as a composer whose vision is expansive enough to spark inspired interpretations from jazz trio and symphony orchestra alike; as an improviser carving surprising pathways through the straight ahead, the avant-garde, and the indefinable; and as a collaborator valued by peers, mentors and fellow innovators.

The Los Angeles Times has praised Neselovskyi’s “extraordinary playing” while The Guardian (UK) called him “the most promising of the young improvisers.” Whether as a pianist, composer, improviser, soloist or bandleader, Neselovskyi creates music that is truly inspired and wholly unique. His work has been played by jazz greats like Randy Brecker, Antonio Sanchez, Julian Lage, and Gary Burton, as well as classical artists (Daniel Gauthier, whose recording of Neselovskyi’s “San Felio” won an ECHO Classical Award) and symphony orchestras in the United States and Europe.

Those diverse talents have attracted the attention of revered artists crossing the boundaries of genre, including legendary vibraphonist Gary Burton, who famously enlisted Neselovskyi for his acclaimed Generations Quintet; the prestigious Graz Philharmoniker, which performed his composition “Prelude for Vibes” on their New Year’s program; iconoclastic composer/saxophonist John Zorn, who invited Neselovskyi to contribute to The Book Beriah, the final installment of his Masada project; and French horn/alphorn pioneer Arkady Shilkloper, a profound influence with whom the pianist now shares a longstanding duo collaboration.

In 2022, he paid tribute to his hometown with Odesa, a ruminative and poetic solo piano album featuring compositions inspired by Ukrainian landmarks like the Odesa Railway Station, Potemkin Stairs, and Odesa Conservatory. The New York Times classical critic Seth Colter Walls recently featured Odesa in “5 CLASSICAL ALBUMS YOU CAN LISTEN TO RIGHT NOW”. Additionally the album has had recent media hits on NPR Morning Edition, WNYC’s All of It with Alison Stewart, The PBS Newshour, The Boston Globe and many others all over Germany, Spain, France, the U.K. and elsewhere.