Ruslan Sirota facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Ruslan Sirota
Background information
Origin	Uman, Ukraine
Genres	Jazz, R&B/soul, pop
Occupation(s)	Musician, producer, composer
Instruments	Piano, keyboards, organ
Years active	1996–present
Associated acts	Stanley Clarke, Josh Groban

Ruslan Sirota is a talented musician who plays the piano. He is also a composer, meaning he writes music, and a producer, which means he helps create music recordings. He even won a Grammy Award in 2011 for his work with the Stanley Clarke Band!

Early Life and Musical Start

Ruslan Sirota was born in Uman, Ukraine, on November 4, 1980. His father, Yefim, was a guitarist and introduced Ruslan to music very early. Ruslan started playing the guitar when he was about four years old. By age seven, he switched to the piano, which became his main instrument.

In 1990, Ruslan's family moved to Israel. There, he continued to study piano at the Bat-Yam music school. When he was around 14, Ruslan discovered jazz music and loved it right away. By the time he was 16, he was known as a "wunderkind" (a child prodigy) keyboardist. He played with a popular Israeli jazz fusion band called "Confusion." With this band, he toured Israel and performed at the Red Sea Jazz Festival several times.

When Ruslan was 18, he tried out for the Berklee College of Music in the United States. He earned a full scholarship, which meant he didn't have to pay for his studies. He moved to Boston in January 2000 to attend Berklee. While studying there, Ruslan became very interested in R&B, funk, and soul music. He played with local artists and became the regular keyboard player at a club called "Wally's Jazz Café."

Professional Career

Around 2004, Ruslan joined the band of famous bass player Stanley Clarke. This was a big step in his career. Ruslan then moved to Los Angeles to continue his professional music journey.

Since then, Ruslan has traveled the world, performing and recording with many well-known artists. Some of these include Black Eyed Peas, Chick Corea, Kanye West, Kamasi Washington, Thundercat, Seal, Josh Groban, Ne-Yo, George Duke, Marcus Miller, Al Jarreau, Victor Wooten, Eric Benét, Rachelle Ferrell, and Larry Carlton. He has also played with the Los Angeles Philharmonic orchestra.

Ruslan released his first album, called Ruslan, on October 24, 2011. This album featured special guest appearances by Stanley Clarke, Chick Corea, and George Duke. Ruslan and Stanley Clarke produced the album together. It was released by Bungalo Records and distributed by Universal Music Group.

Ruslan is also a board member of the Magic Music Foundation. This is a non-profit organization that helps music students around the world. It gives scholarships to students so they can afford to study music, no matter where they choose to learn.

Ruslan's Music Albums

Ruslan Sirota has released several albums as the main artist. He has also played on many albums for other musicians.

Albums as the Main Artist

• 2023: Fruits of the Midi
• 2019: A Lifetime Away
• 2011: Ruslan

Albums as a Guest Musician

• 1998: Customade by Confusion
• 2007: The Toys of Men by Stanley Clarke
• 2008: Thunder by S.M.V.
• 2008: Conflict by Sy Smith
• 2009: The Quiet Hype by Jupiter Rising
• 2010: The Stanley Clarke Band by Stanley Clarke (Ruslan also wrote a song called "Soldier" for this album)
• 2010: Lost in Time by Eric Benét
• 2011: Platinum Hit: The Winning Songs, Season One
• 2013: In This Life by Virgil Donati
• 2015: Stages by Josh Groban
• 2018: Quartet by Bob Reynolds

Images for kids

• 

  Ruslan Sirota performing in 2015.