Vyacheslav Ganelin

Vyacheslav (Slava) Ganelin (, , ; born 17 December 1944) is a Soviet, Lithuanian and Israeli jazz pianist, composer, and pedagogue. Primarily a pianist, he also plays other keyboards (organ and synthesizer) as well as bass, guitar, and percussions. He was the leader of the Ganelin Trio, described by critic Chris Kelsey as “arguably the world’s greatest free jazz ensemble” of the 1970s and ’80s. He was a founder of Lithuanian jazz (Soviet jazz, when Lithuania was controlled by the Soviet Union). Early career Ganelin was born in Kraskovo, near Moscow. In 1948 his family moved to Lithuania, where he learned to play piano in the music school. Later he studied piano and composition at the Vilnius Conservatory where he graduated in 1968. For many years, Ganelin taught composition at the Vilnius Conservatory, and was music director of the Vilnius Russian Drama Theatre. Ganelin trio In 1968, Ganelin formed a trio with percussionist Vladimir Tarasov and saxophonist Vladimir Rezitsky. Rezitsky left the trio in 1971, and was replaced with Vladimir Chekasin. and in 1986, in the US. In 1999 he founded the Ganelin Trio Priority with soprano saxophonist Petras Vyšniauskas and percussionist Klaus