Victoria Borisova-Ollas facts for kids

Victoria Borisova-Ollas is a talented Russian-Swedish composer. She writes amazing music for orchestras, choirs, and even operas! She became famous around the world when her piece Wings of the Wind won a big award in 1998.

Victoria was born in Vladivostok, Russia, on December 21, 1969. She loved music from a young age. She studied at some of the best music schools. These included the Tchaikovsky Conservatory in Moscow. She also studied at the Malmö Music College in Sweden. Later, she went to the Royal College of Music in London.

Her music often tells stories or paints pictures with sound. She has written two symphonies. A symphony is a long piece of music for a large orchestra. Her first symphony is called The Triumph of Heaven. Her second is named Labyrinths of Time.

Victoria also created an opera called The Ground Beneath Her Feet. An opera is like a play where the story is told mostly through singing. This opera was based on a famous book by Salman Rushdie. It was first performed in 2007. A famous actor, Alan Rickman, helped narrate it.

Since 2008, Victoria has been a member of the Royal Swedish Academy of Music. This is a special group that honors important musicians and composers in Sweden.

Awards and Recognition

Victoria Borisova-Ollas has won many important awards for her music. These awards show how much her work is appreciated.

• 1997 – She received a scholarship from the Royal Swedish Academy of Music. This helped her study in London.
• 1998 – Her piece Wings of the Wind won second place in the Masterprize International Composing Competition. This was a big international contest.
• 2005 – She won the Christ Johnson Prize for her Symphony No. 1 The Triumph of Heaven.
• 2008 – She became a member of the Royal Swedish Academy of Music.
• 2008 – She won the Music Publishers Award for her opera The Ground Beneath Her Feet.
• 2009 – She received the Rosenberg Prize.
• 2011 – She won the Christ Johnson Award Grand Prize for her work Golden Dances of the Pharaohs.
• 2017 – She received the Spelmannen Award from Expressen, a Swedish newspaper.
• She also received several scholarships from STIM (Swedish Performing Rights Society) in different years.

Selected Musical Works

Victoria Borisova-Ollas has composed many different types of music. Here are some of her notable works.

Orchestral Music

These are pieces written for a large orchestra.

• Image – Reflection (1994)
• Wings of the Wind (1997)
• Symphony No.1 The Triumph of Heaven (2003)
• Golden Dances of the Pharaohs (2010) for clarinet and orchestra

Large Ensemble Music

These pieces are for a group of musicians, smaller than a full orchestra.

• Keter (2003) for 12 saxophones
• Creation of the Hymn (2013) for string orchestra

Chamber and Small Ensemble Music

These are for smaller groups of instruments, often just a few.

• Creation of the Hymn (1996) for string quartet
• Roosters in Love (1999) for saxophone quartet
• Seven Singing Butterflies (2005) for clarinet and string quartet

Choral Music

These works are written for choirs, sometimes with instruments.

• Psalm 42: Wie der Hirsch schreit (2008) for orchestra, soloists, choir, and organ
• Vinden som ingenting minns (2015) for choir and orchestra

Opera and Stage Works

These are pieces meant for theatrical performances.

• The Ground Beneath Her Feet (2007) – an opera based on a novel.
• Dracula (2017) – an opera.

Keyboard Music

These are pieces written for instruments like the piano or organ.

• Hymn i sten (1996) for piano
• Silent Island (2000) for piano
• A Midnight Bell (2002) for piano
• Djurgården Tales (2009–11) for two pianos