Draft:Vladimir Aleksandrovich Savenok

Vladimir Aleksandrovich Savenok (Musician)

Vladimir Aleksandrovich Savenok is a USSR-born rock musician (songwriter, composer, keyboards, vocals) of Ukrainian and Byelorussian heritage. Member of Poyushchiye Gitary 2021 - current

Childhood and education
Vladimir Aleksandrovich Savenok was born into a family of public educators on the 4th of November, 1955, in Leningrad, USSR. Young Vladimir started his first piano lessons at home with his mother, when he was 4 years old. He studied piano at Kirov school of music in Leningrad and took advanced English studies at Leningrad school No263 from 1963 to 1971. From 1971 to 1975, he studied Electronics and Engineering at Leningrad Radio Poly-Tech College, graduating in 1975. From 1977 to 1982, Vladimir Aleksandrovich Savenok studied piano, composition, vocal, and music directing at Saint-Petersburg State University of Culture and Arts, graduating in 1982, as pianist and composer. At the graduation concert, Vladimir Aleksandrovich Savenok delivered his piano performance of Mussorgsky's Pictures at an Exhibition.

Career in music
Vladimir Aleksandrovich Savenok formed his first school band in 1969, when Beatlemania was still high, but the Beatles were disallowed to perform in the USSR, or anywhere beyond the Iron Curtain. Vladimir, although fluent in English, was not allowed to sing the songs of the Beatles, because of Soviet censorship. So he started writing his own songs. His early songwriting style was still influenced by the Beatles and other British and American musicians, such as Bob Dylan, Eric Clapton, Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, Simon & Garfunkel and others. His first tour outside of the Soviet Union in 1980, in Hungary, was an eyeopening experience. Vladimir was impressed by creative freedom, professionalism and independence of European musicians. Back in Leningrad, Vladimir re-invented his style of singing and songwriting. At that time, Vladimir joined the Leningrad Rock Club and became a busy singer and performer on piano and keyboards, collaborating with such bands as "Ocean", "Stars", "Obertone", "Belye Strely", "Mify" and others, including Yuri Ilchenko from Mashina Vremeni. Transforming his styles of songwriting and singing, Vladimir Aleksandrovich Savenok made a performing and recording career spanning over 50 years, from the late 1970s to present. His early compositions reflected his escapism from the totalitarian atmosphere of Soviet Union and Russia, so he followed British and American rock music. In late 1980s, Vladimir founded his new band - Praesidium, where his works represent cross-genre and trans-cultural affairs.

His 1989 cross-genre hit "Zvezdny tsyferblat" is a folk-style song transformed into electronic Euro-beat. The deep and slow-tempo disco hit was written and produced by Vladimir Aleksandrovich Savenok at Leningrad Radio House in 1989. The song was updated and re-released on vinyl in 2019 in Ukraine by Baran Records.

In the 1990s, Vladimir formed a new band – «Sweet Little 60's», nowadays a fairly popular group based in Saint Petersburg. In addition to this, over the years Vladimir got involved in numerous live projects and bands like «Beathoven», «Green River», «That Zeppelin», «Big Blues Revival», and others.

In 2014, Vladimir played keyboards for Ken Hensley on tour. In 2015, Vladimir produced a Manfred Mann's Earth Band tribute show in which he also performed as lead singer and played keyboards Manfred Mann's style.

Disability
In the 2000s, Vladimir was severely disabled after a car accident when his Volkswagen was struck by a local undercover police car and while he was unconscious after being thrown out of his car it burned down. Due to his impaired mobility, Vladimir was for several years unable to perform on stage and had to sustain numerous surgeries and a long struggle with post-traumatic illness. It was his love of music that helped Vladimir to recover his perfect pitch and regain mobility in his hands to start playing and singing again. It took him several years of persistent practice to gradually restore his playing and singing skills, so Vladimir Savenok again toured Finland, Russia, Estonia, Ukraine and also performed at the NAMM 2013 Show in California.

Renewed career
In 2015 - 2016, Vladimir Savenok re-created concerts of the legendary Manfred Mann's Earth Band with his current band - «Vladimir Savenok and Friends» in Saint Petersburg.

Over the course of his music career, Vladimir Aleksandrovich Savenok toured and performed in Hungary, Ukraine, Russia, Finland, Estonia, Latvia, and United States.

Personal life
Vladimir Aleksandrovich Savenok is married to artist Veronika, a member of Saint Petersburg Union of Artists and an artist at the State Russian Museum. The couple is living in Saint Petersburg, Russia.

Appearances and Collaborations

 * Member of Poyushchiye Gitary 2021 - current
 * Jagger Club (Saint Petersburg, Russia) 2005 - 2020
 * Aurora Club (Saint Petersburg, Russia) 2005 - 2019
 * Ken Hensley on tour, 2014
 * NAMM Show (United States) 2013
 * Baran Records (Ukraine) 2010s
 * Petrokonzert, Saint Petersburg (Russia) 2000s
 * Lenkonzert, Leningrad (Soviet Union) 1990s
 * Leningrad Television (Soviet Union) 1990s
 * Leningrad Radio House (Soviet Union) 1980s