He has taught at the Gnesin Russian Academy of Music since 2002. In 1971 he graduated from the Ternopil Music College named after S. Krushelnytska, in 1976 from the Odessa Conservatory named after A. V. Nezhdanova and in 1982 from postgraduate studies at the Gnesin State Musical and Pedagogical Institute.
He is a laureate of the Republican Competition (Kyiv, 1976, First Prize), the All‑Union Competition (Minsk, 1979, First Prize) and the International «Prague Spring» Competition (1981, Third Prize).
From 1986 to 2003 he was a soloist of the State Academic Symphony Orchestra under Evgeny Svetlanov, and from 2003 to 2011 a soloist of the Moscow State Academic Symphony Orchestra under Pavel Kogan.
As a solo performer he has appeared in many cities across Russia, the CIS and worldwide. Composers R. Ledenev and G. Salnikov have dedicated works to him, and the archives of All‑Russian Radio contain numerous recordings by I. Olenchik for clarinet with piano and orchestra. He has played and toured with various symphony orchestras under leading contemporary conductors, including E. Svetlanov, G. Rozhdestvensky, M. Rostropovich, V. Gergiev, K. Mazur, Y. Menuhin, M. Ermler, P. Kogan, V. Sinaisky, D. Kitaenko, V. Fedoseev and many others.
Many of I. F. Olenchik’s students have become laureates of all‑Russian and international competitions.
As a composer, I. Olenchik has written «16 Virtuoso Studies for Clarinet», «20 Caprices for Solo Clarinet», «Concerto for Clarinet and Chamber Orchestra with Piano», «Variations on a Theme by Michel Legrand», «Concert Piece on a Theme by D. Shostakovich», «Fantasy on Themes by M. Mussorgsky», «Two Free‑Style Fantasies», the concert fanfare march «Carnival» for large wind orchestra, the concert march «Obsession» for large wind orchestra, «Fantasy on Themes by Y. F. Svetlanov», arrangements of folk songs and numerous transcriptions for clarinet and piano.
I. Olenchik is the author of such teaching aids as «Anthology for the Beginning Clarinettist», «Anthology for Recorder» and «Teaching and Performance on the Clarinet». Together with Professor A. A. Buchnev he co‑authored the textbook «Clarinetist’s Practice».
Over many years of creative work I. F. Olenchik has made a large number of clarinet recordings. A recording of Sergei Rachmaninov’s Second Symphony conducted by Y. F. Svetlanov, in which the clarinet solo is performed by I. F. Olenchik, was recognised by the magazine «Music Today» as the best recording of this work in the twentieth century.
I. Olenchik has been awarded the Medal of the Order «For Services to the Fatherland» (Second Class) by Decree of the President of the Russian Federation. By decision of the Presidium of the Moscow Music Society he was given the title «Honoured Member of the Moscow Music Society».
Complete list of publications
