I was born to Jewish parents in Kiev but the only religion I was ever exposed to was atheism. Deep inside I knew there must be a Creator.
My family were musicians. My grandfather was a violinist and composer. My father was a violinist and my mother a classical guitarist; both were well known in the former Soviet Union. I began studying piano at age five and at age 14, I was composing operas and symphonies. Although I completed my B.A. in Piano Performance, I knew I would be denied entry to the Kiev Conservatory because I was Jewish and because my grandfather had immigrated to the United States and was considered a “traitor”. Desperate to continue my studies, I applied for permission to emigrate. I became very anxious, very fearful, afraid that they wouldn’t let me leave, that I would always be persecuted. Although I didn’t know anything, I decided to pray to Jesus, the one my atheism class had taught me about. “Jesus, please get me out of this country.”
Soon after my prayer, my family received permission to emigrate and in 1979 we began a new life in Chicago. There I enrolled in DePaul University and obtained my Masters in Piano Performance. In 1984 I married my wife Jody.
I found freedom and faith in the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, in Jesus, His Son, who died for my sins. New compositions came to me, classic in form, yet overflowing with the sounds of my Russian-Jewish roots. My love for Israel and concern for the plight of my people continued to be a recurring theme in my music. I was inspired by a desire to compose music that was an offering of praise to God.
I experienced the most life-changing event of my walk with the Lord about three years ago. I attended a seminar entitled, “Imparting the Father’s Heart” at a ministry called Shiloh Place in South Carolina. This ministry taught about the intense love the Father has for us. Most of us have a difficult time relating to God as our Father. We think of Yeshua, or Jesus, as the one who came to save us from the wrath of an angry God. But Yeshua Himself said, “A son can do nothing of himself except what he sees the Father doing.” And the Scripture tells us “God is love.”
I believe the reason why we have such a hard time relating to our Heavenly Father is because we weren’t shown enough love by our earthly fathers. My own father died when I was five years old. I have some memories of him and I know that he loved me, but I remember that he usually rewarded me when I did well. If I disappointed him, I did not get rewarded. It made me feel as if I had to earn his love. So when I came to the Lord I based my relationship with Him on what I could do for Him. It affected my wife and my children and the people around me. My identity was so wrapped up in what I did----music and ministry----and they took precedence over my family and my relationship with others. I did not really know how to rest in God’s love or abide in His presence. I was even touched by revival in 1995 and 1996. My music became more anointed but it continued to occupy a place of more importance in my life than my family.
Finally, during the 25 days of training that January of 2004 in North Carolina, I realized that, no matter what my calling is, my life must be rooted and grounded in the love of my Heavenly Father. Paul, in 1 Corinthians 13, tells us, “Though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, but have no love, it profits me nothing.” Knowing the Father’s love is the foundation for our lives----for everything we do. We were created for intimacy, in the image of our Father, and the whole Torah and the prophets are resting on two commandments: “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, your soul, and your might and you shall love your neighbor as yourself.” I had begun to learn how to experience the Father’s love. I learned how to just rest in Daddy’s arms, as He would bathe me in His love.
I had never realized that I had quite a deficit of love. Many of my wounds began to be healed, as the Lord’s love would push out of me the hidden core pain of my past. I cried at least every other day. The valley of Baca (tears) from Psalm 84 became, for me, a way back to my Abba’s home. I, finally, for the first time in my life, started to have a sense of home. I repented to my wife and my children and it began to bring healing to their hearts. For the first time I really began to understand what it meant to be an intimate father to my children.
Now the message of the Father’s love is foundational to what I do in the ministry. My own life was broken, my spirit crushed, but I was healed and transformed. My Abba-Father loves me; I am free to love. Since the Father has revealed His love to me I am finding that He is using my compositions and concerts, to reveal His loving Father heart to others all around the world.
Most recently I composed a CD entitled, “The Lord is My Healer”. Healing scriptures read in Hebrew and English accompanies the music. It’s amazing because people are being touched in their spirits although they do not understand in their minds the Hebrew language. Interestingly, a Swiss scientist, Hans Jenny, constructed an instrument called a “tonoscope” to make sound visible on substances like water or sand. Different shapes appeared on the sand as the result of different sounds coming through the device. He then tried spoken words in different languages and nothing happened. When he got to the Hebrew language, the language spoken made the shapes of Hebrew vowels on the sand. None of the modern languages did that. (I believe that when God spoke the Universe into existence. The sound of His voice set in motion frequencies that became shapes. Many scientists believe that everything in this Universe is made of the sound. Today when we align our thoughts with the thoughts of God and speak them out, the creative power of God goes forth to accomplish that which He desires. That is why I believe when the healing scriptures are spoken in Hebrew it makes an imprint not only on our mind, but also in our cells, for we are made out of dust (sand).
As I continue to compose and to perform, I pray for the anointing of God----to play the Master’s pieces in celebration of freedom, with the expression of our Father’s love and His healing heart, and in an explosion of vibrancy and joy. For I truly believe that the next major revival will be the restoration of the Father's love and that it will spread throughout the whole world and bring the Jewish people and the nations together in marriage that will shine like no other jewel.

Bless you with the abundance of His love as you listen to the music, which was given to me to share with the world,

Alyosha