Vlad (Zeev) Shulman.
Opera and concert singer, cantor, vocal teacher, public figure.
Chairman of the Board (Max Goldin Society Jewish Culture Heritage), Member of the Board (I.Kozakevich Latvian Association of the National Cultural Societies), Director of Riga synagogue cultural programs.
Vlad Shulman was born in Riga in 1962.
Vocal education: in Nizhny Novgorod (Russia) – Mikhail Glinka Nizhny Novgorod State Conservatoire, in Moscow – Maimonid State Classical Academy, Moscow Academy of Cantorial Arts.
In 2002 Vlad Shulman was invited by the Board of Riga Jewish Religious Community to the position of a cantor of Riga synagogue. Subsequently he actively cooperates with Latvian Council of Jewish Communities as a coordinator of cultural projects.
Since 2002 up to the present Vlad Shulman has organized more than 100 concerts of Jewish and classical music in Riga. Supported by: Latvian Council of Jewish Communities, Riga City Council’s Education, Culture and Sports Committee, Israel Embassy for Latvia and Lithuania, Embassies of Estonia, Germany and Russia, Latvian Association of the National Cultural Societies, Dutch Jewish Humanitarian Fund.
The Artistic Director of five Riga Festivals: First Misha Alexandrovich International Jewish Music Festival – in 2007, Remembering the Hand of a Conductor Festival, dedicated to the memory of professor of Latvian State Conservatoire Ludmila Pismennaya – in 2012, Second Misha Alexandrovich International Jewish Music Festival – in 2013, Third Misha Alexandrovich International Jewish Music Festival – in 2016 and Forth Misha Alexandrovich International Jewish Music Festival – in
Chairman of the organizing Committee and Artistic Director of Misha Alexandrovich Young Vocalists Competition – 2014-2015.
General Director of I.Kozakevich Latvian Association of National Cultural Societies – 2015-2016.
In 2003 Vlad Shulman organized RIGA KLEZMER BAND, which included well-known Riga musicians: Yury Savkin (violin), Gidons Grinbergs (violin), Eduards Raubishko (clarinet), Yuris and Yury Kasper (piano). In 2006 he organized Riga synagogue boys’ choir.
As an expert in the field of Jewish tradition and culture, Vlad Shulman was a consultant to several theatrical and film productions: the stage play of Riga OSA theatre by Sholom Aleichem’s Motl, Peysi the Cantor’s Son ( the stage manager – S.Losev) – in 2006, The Courageous Heart of Irene Sendler – the film production of Hallmark Hall of Fame, USA (the film Director – John Kent Harrison) – in 2008, theatrical performance The secrets of Kabbalah in the New Riga Theatre (the stage manager – A.Hermanis) – in 2012.
Vlad Shulman actively represents Latvian Jewish culture and music in Latvia and abroad. He is the author of several Latvian Jewish music programs. Latvian Jewish liturgical music program – with Youth choir BALSIS male ensemble (conductor – Ints Teterovskis) was presented on 2009 September 10 in the concert at the Latvian National Opera.
On 2013 December 1 in the framework of Second Misha Alexandrovich International Jewish Music Festival the oratorio In Memory of Riga Ghetto by Mendel Bash was performed (State Choir Latvija, Latvian National Symphony orchestra, conductor – Arkady Leytush (USA), soloists – Inessa Galante and Vlad Shulman).
Vlad Shulman recorded two CDs: Riga Ghetto Songs – in 2001 and Melodies of Burned Synagogues (Liturgy of Latvian Synagogues) with the Latvian Youth choir BALSIS male ensemble and organ – in 2009.
As a singer and a cantor Vlad Shulman has toured in Estonia, Lithuania, Italy, Poland, Czech Republic, Romania, Norway, Israel and Russia. He participated in three international competitions of vocalists: in Warsaw (1994) and in Kaliningrad (1992 and 1994).
Recital in Bialystok (Poland) in the framework of International Jewish Culture Festival “Zachor” – in 2015.
“Riga ghetto songs” concert in Trieste (Italy) in the framework of International Festival Victor Ullman – in 2016.
The concert of Latvian Jewish music with RIGA KLEZMER BAND in the framework of Jewish Culture Festival in Trondheim (Norway) – in 2017.
His repertoire includes about 300 arias, romances and songs in Hebrew, Yiddish, Italian, Latvian, Russian, German, English, Polish, Ukrainian.
In 2008 Vlad Shulman was awarded a honorary diploma of the Ministry of Culture of Latvia – for his contribution to the creation of a harmonious multicultural society in Latvia.
His hobby is chess, FIDE Master, four times champion of Riga, as well as champion of Kirov and Nizhny Novgorod region and the city of Perm – in Russia.
Ebreju Kultūra 