Valentin Silvestrov, one of the leading representatives of the ‘Kiev avant-garde’, was born in Kiev in 1937. He came to music at the age of fifteen, initially teaching himself before attending an evening music school between 1955 and 1958 while studying civil engineering during the day. From 1958 to 1964, he studied composition and counterpoint with Boris Lyatoshinsky and Lev Revutsky, respectively, at the Kiev Conservatory. He later taught at a music studio in Kiev for several years.

With the ‘Kiev avant-garde’ movement facing harsh criticism from proponents of the conservative Soviet musical aesthetic, Silvestrov’s music was rarely performed in Kiev during the 1960s and 1970s. His premieres were heard only in Russia or the West. His Spectrums for chamber orchestra was premiered to great acclaim by the Leningrad Philharmonic under Igor Blashkov in 1965. In 1968, the same conductor premiered his Symphony No. 2. His works, particularly Symphony No. 3, earned him the Koussevitzky Prize in 1967. In 1970, his Hymn for six orchestral groups received an honorary title at the international Gaudeamus competition and festival in Utrecht.

Silvestrov's music has garnered international recognition. One of his earliest champions was American pianist and conductor Virko Baley, a devoted advocate of contemporary Ukrainian music, particularly Silvestrov’s works. Baley facilitated the first performances of Postludium for piano and orchestra (1985) and Exegi monumentum for baritone and orchestra (1988) in Las Vegas, as well as a Valentin Silvestrov 50th Birthday Concert in New York.

Silvestrov was a visiting composer at the Almeida Music Festival in London (1989), Gidon Kremer’s Lockenhaus Festival in Austria (1990), and various festivals in Denmark, Finland, and the Netherlands. He later served as ‘composer in residence’ in Hungary (2007, Pannonhalma), Poland (2009, Nostalgia Festival, Poznań), Austria (2013, Klangspuren, Schwaz), Switzerland (2016, Davos Festival ‘Young Artists in Concert’), the Netherlands (2017, The Hague, Unheard Music Festival), and Germany (2017/18, Staatskapelle Weimar).

In 1998-99, he was a visiting fellow at DAAD (German Academic Exchange Service) in Berlin, where three of his major works have since been premiered: Metamusic (March 1993), Dedication for violin and orchestra (November 1993), and Symphony No. 6 (August 2002).

To celebrate Silvestrov’s 80th birthday, numerous concerts were held worldwide – from America to Europe, Russia, Ukraine, and Japan. Gidon Kremer performed Dedication, Vladimir Jurowski conducted Symphony No. 3, Roman Kofman led performances of Symphonies No. 5 and 7, and John Storgårds conducted Symphony No. 8. The world premiere of his Violin Concerto (2016) took place in Weimar on 14 January 2018, featuring young violinist Valeriy Sokolov. Renowned pianists, chamber musicians, choirs, and a conference in Moscow were also part of the jubilee festivities.

He fled from Ukraine in 2022 to Germany and currently lives in Berlin.