Golovko, Sergei
Biography
Born:
Country: Ukraine
Studies: Moscow State Tchaikovsky Conservatory, Gnessin Russian Academy of Music
Teachers: Dmitry Lukyanov
Website:
Sergei Golovko is an acclaimed virtuoso soloist and performer, and a leading percussion pedagogue to countless established percussionists as well as younger generations of musicians. Sergei’s colourful interpretations of famous compositions, as well as his own compositions combined with master marimba technique, have attracted tremendous public appeal. Described as “dazzling…a man with helium hands” and his performances are “…percussion pyrotechnics” by music critic Michael Easton, Sergei’s own transcriptions and arrangements have been performed across Australia, including at the Sydney Opera House, and at Hamer Hall, Arts Centre Melbourne. Some of his most virtuosic arrangements and performances include Liszt’s Hungarian Rhapsody no. 2, and Tchaikovsky’s Violin Concerto, self-transcribed and performed for marimba and orchestra. Sergei has toured throughout the world as a virtuoso soloist on xylophone and marimba, presenting solo recitals, playing as a soloist with the orchestras and wind bands at the Royal Albert Hall, London and the Wiener Musikverein, Austria, Kölner Philharmonie and Munich Philharmonic, Germany and many other major Concert venues in Europe and Asia. He is highly sought-after as a guest artist and pedagogue at esteemed Percussion Festivals throughout the world, with appearances in recent years at European festivals in Russia, Finland, France, Belgium, Germany, England, Austria and Italy; throughout China and Korea in Asia, in South America in Argentina and Colombia, as well as in his home country, Australia. Sergei is also in high demand as an adjudicator in percussion and marimba competitions throughout the world, including Colombian Percussion Competition, Australian Marimba Competition, Jeju International Percussion Competition in South Korea, Universal Marimba Competition in Belgium and others.
Locally, Sergei was the Artistic Director of the Australian Drummer’s Show Band (1998-2000), who notably performed at the Opening Ceremony of the Sydney Olympics in 2000. He has been Musical Director, as well as composer and conductor for the Australia Day performances at Melbourne’s iconic Federation Square and Sidney Myer Music Bowl, with audiences up to 10,000 people. He has performed regularly as a freelance musician with the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra, as guest soloist on ABC radio and television, and as a percussionist for theatre productions, soundtrack and commercial advertisement recordings.
In his hometown in Melbourne, Sergei is an established percussion pedagogue and teacher, which included teaching at the Victorian College of the Arts, the University of Melbourne (1997-2006). Many of his alumni have won Australian and International accolades, prizes and competitions, and are current members of Australia’s only national taiko ensemble ‘Taikoz’, Opera Australia Orchestra, and regular orchestral members of long-running musicals such as The Lion King and Les Misérables.
Sergei is currently the Founder and Director of the Australian Percussion Academy (APA) in Melbourne, which since 2010 has provided high quality education in percussion, drum-set and marimba performance, for students of all ages, underpinned by Sergei’s signature teaching methods, with strong focus on technique and precision. Through the Academy, Sergei regularly hosts workshops, master classes, conferences and professional development sessions for students as well as percussion teachers, sharing his educational approach throughout the community. With his international connections, Sergei’s students at the Australian Percussion Academy have performed for world-renowned percussionists such as Bill Bachman (USA), James Campbell (USA), Rodrigo Heringer (Brazil), Michael Burritt (USA), Mark Sherman (USA), Master drummer David Jones (Australia), Arthur Lipner (USA), James Whiting (Australia/USA), Emmanuel Sejourne, Filippo Lattanzi, Ludwig Albert and many others.
Sergei’s instructional percussion and marimba literature, arrangements, transcriptions, and his own compositions for solo marimba, percussion and ensembles are published through Edition Svitzer (Denmark), and through his own publishing company Blackeye Productions. His publications and compositions with Blackeye Productions span beginner through to advance and professional level repertoire, and his compositions are listed as set works in the Victorian Certificate of Education’s Music Performance – Percussion syllabus.
Sergei is also Founder and Artistic Director of the Australian Marimba Competition, which is recognised on the world stage as a major international competition for young marimbists. The competition is held annually in Melbourne since 2014, and adjudicators have included esteemed soloists Michael Burritt (USA), Wei-Chen Lin (Taiwan), Lynn Vartan (USA), Alejandro Ruiz (Colombia), Ludwig Albert (Belgium), Emmanuel Séjourné (France), Sylvie Reynaert (France), Filippo Lattanzi (Italy), Arthur Lipner (USA) and Australian leading soloists and percussion pedagogues Claire Edwardes, Robert Oetomo, Steve Falk, Jamie Adam, James Whiting and Peter Neville.
For many years, Sergei was appointed as an International Master Educator and Artist Endorser by Malletech (USA), and presented workshops, master classes and percussion clinics throughout the world. Sergei is currently Adams Marimba Artist, representing the interests of Adams Company (Holland) and GROVER (US) International Artist.
Books for Percussion
3 Easy Rudimental Solos for Snare Drum
5 Pieces for Multi-Percussion
7 Easy Pieces for Timpani
8 Pieces for Three Mallets
Home Among the Gumtrees - Snare Drum & Piano
Nice and Easy
Shorts to Achievement
The Book of Transcriptions (Volume 1)
SIX PIECES for Timpani and Piano; Timpani & Piano
Works for Percussion
Solo
Ensemble
Blue Reggae - Percussion Nonet
Camel in the City - Percussion 10
Impulse - Percussion Quartet
Isla De Baru - Percussion 11
Jungle Chase - Percussion Octet
Monkey See, Monkey Do - Percussion 10
Piña Verde - Marimba; Percussion Quartet
Witch Hunt - Percussion Duet
References