The State Academic Symphony Orchestra "Evgeny Svetlanov" (Государственный академический симфонический оркестр России имени Е. Ф. Светланова) is a Russian orchestra based in

Moscow Moscow ( , US chiefly ; rus, links=no, Москва, r=Moskva, p=mɐskˈva, a=Москва.ogg) is the capital and largest city of Russia. The city stands on the Moskva River in Central Russia, with a population estimated at 13.0 million ...

. Sometimes known in English as the Russian State Symphony Orchestra, the orchestra gives concerts in Moscow at the Great Hall of the

Moscow Conservatory The Moscow Conservatory, also officially Moscow State Tchaikovsky Conservatory (russian: Московская государственная консерватория им. П. И. Чайковского, link=no) is a musical educational inst ...

and at the Tchaikovsky Concert Hall.

History

The orchestra was founded in 1936 as the USSR State Symphony Orchestra, with

Alexander Gauk Alexander Vassilievich Gauk (russian: Алекса́ндр Васи́льевич Га́ук; 30 March 1963) was a Russian/Soviet conductor and composer. Biography Alexander Gauk was born in Odessa in 1893. He recalled his first experience as h ...

as its first music director. The orchestra changed its name after the dissolution of the

Soviet Union The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, it was nominally a federal union of fifteen national ...

. The orchestra's longest serving music director was

Evgeny Svetlanov Yevgeny Fyodorovich Svetlanov (russian: Евгéний Фёдорович Светлáнов; 6 September 1928 – 3 May 2002) was a Russian conductor, composer and a pianist. Life and work Svetlanov was born in Moscow and studied conducting w ...

, from 1965 to 2000. Svetlanov's tenure ended with his controversial dismissal by Russia's minister of culture, Mikhail Shvydkoi, who had accused Svetlanov of spending excessive time conducting outside of Russia. In 2005, the orchestra officially acquired the additional name of ''Svetlanov Symphony Orchestra''. The orchestra now has the formal name, in English, of the 'State Academic Symphony Orchestra "Evgeny Svetlanov"'.

Mark Gorenstein Mark Borisovich Gorenstein (russian: Марк Борисович Горенштейн, born 16 September 1946) is a Russian conductor. He grew up in Odessa and studied at the conservatory in Kishinev. He later played violin in the Bolshoi Th ...

succeeded Svetlanov as music director from 2002 to 2011. In 2011, Gorenstein caused controversy with his remarks about Armenian cellist Narek Hakhnazaryan during the 2011 International Tchaikovsky Competition, which led to his removal as conductor for the competition. The orchestra then demanded Gorenstein's dismissal from the orchestra, with accusations of abusive behaviour. Gorenstein was subsequently dismissed from the orchestra in September 2011. In October 2011, the orchestra announced the appointment of

Vladimir Jurowski Vladimir Mikhailovich Jurowski (; born 4 April 1972) is a Russian conductor. He is the son of conductor Michail Jurowski, and grandson of Soviet film music composer Vladimir Michailovich Jurowski. Early life Born in Moscow, Jurowski began hi ...

as its principal conductor, with immediate effect, for an initial contract of 3 years. Jurowski concluded his principal conductorship of the orchestra in 2021.

Vasily Petrenko Vasily Eduardovich Petrenko (russian: Васи́лий Эдуа́рдович Петре́нко; born 7 July 1976) is a Russian-British conductor. He is currently chief conductor of the European Union Youth Orchestra, music director of the Roy ...

became principal guest conductor of the orchestra in 2016. In January 2021, the orchestra announced the appointment of Petrenko as its next principal conductor, effective 1 September 2021.

Music Directors/Principal Conductors

(1936–1941) *

Natan Rakhlin Natan Grigoryevich Rakhlin (Russian: Натан Григорьевич Рахлин, Ukrainian: Натан Григорович Рахлін; in Snowsk near Chernihiv − June 28, 1979 in Kazan) was a Soviet conductor. Natan Grigorievich Rakhlin ...

(1941–1945) * Konstantin Ivanov (1946–1965) *

(1965–2000) *

Vassily Sinaisky Vassily Serafimovich Sinaisky ( Russian: Васи́лий Серафи́мович Сина́йский, born in Abez, Komi Republic, April 20, 1947) is a Russian conductor and pianist. Biography Sinaisky studied conducting with Ilya Musin at t ...

(2000–2002) *

(2002–2011) *

(2011–2021) *

(2021–present)

References

External links

Official English-language homepage of the State Academic Symphony Orchestra "Evgeny Svetlanov"
{{DEFAULTSORT:State Academic Symphony Orchestra Of The Russian Federation Musical groups established in 1936 Russian symphony orchestras 1936 establishments in the Soviet Union