{"id":28278,"date":"2023-05-19T13:48:25","date_gmt":"2023-05-19T11:48:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.classical-music.com\/?p=182054"},"modified":"2023-05-23T08:40:55","modified_gmt":"2023-05-23T06:40:55","slug":"14-best-russian-conductors-the-greatest-maestros-from-the-last-150-years","status":"publish","type":"rss_feed","link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcmusicmagazine\/rss_feed\/14-best-russian-conductors-the-greatest-maestros-from-the-last-150-years\/","title":{"rendered":"14 best Russian conductors: the greatest maestros from the last 150 years"},"content":{"rendered":"

The legendary Russian conductors who propelled a nation to musical greatness <\/p>

By BBC Music Magazine\n \t\t<\/p>

Published: Friday, 19 May 2023 at 12:00 am<\/p>

\n\n

Russia (or, for several decades, the USSR) has given us some of the most notable conductors in classical music history.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Many of these conductors \u2013 Evgeny Svetlanov, for example, or Serge Koussevitzky \u2013 are noted for bringing huge amounts of drama, energy and passion to the classical repertoire. Anyone who has heard Yevgeny Mravinsky\u2019s blistering renditions of Tchaikovsky\u2019s symphonies 4, 5 and 6 will know what it means to hear a Russian conductor and orchestra in full flow.<\/p>\n\n<p>Here is our list of the greatest Russian conductors.<\/p>\n<section class=\""highlight\"> <div class=\""highlight__content\" editor-content=\"\"> \n<ul>\n<li><strong><a href=\""https:\/\/www.classical-music.com\/features\/works\/russian-folk-songs\/"\">Russian folk songs: 10 of the best<\/a><\/strong><\/li>\n<li><strong><a href=\""https:\/\/www.classical-music.com\/features\/articles\/best-russian-composers\/"\">Top 10 Russian composers<\/a><\/strong><\/li>\n<li><strong><a href=\""https:\/\/www.classical-music.com\/features\/works\/six-best-russian-orchestral-works\/"\">Six of the best Russian orchestral works<\/a><\/strong><\/li>\n<li><strong><a href=\""https:\/\/www.classical-music.com\/features\/articles\/six-of-the-best-pieces-of-soviet-chamber-music\/"\">Six of the best pieces of Soviet chamber music<\/a><\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p> <\/p><\/div> <\/section> <h2>The best Russian conductors<\/h2>\n<h3 class=\""p1"\"><span class=\""s1"\">Serge Koussevitzky<\/span><span class=\""s2"\"> <i>(1874-1951)<\/i><\/span><\/h3>\n<iframe title=\""Serge\" koussevitzky=\"\" conducts...=\"\" width=\""200"\" height=\""150"\" src=\""https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/pfwuXg6GmPU?feature=oembed"\" frameborder=\""0"\" allow=\""accelerometer;\" autoplay=\"\" clipboard-write=\"\" encrypted-media=\"\" gyroscope=\"\" picture-in-picture=\"\" web-share=\"\" allowfullscreen=\"\"\/>\n<p class=\""p1"\"><span class=\""s1"\">Te<\/span><span class=\""s1"\">chnically not the most polished of conductors, the hot-tempered Koussevitzky was nonetheless an inspiring presence and was responsible for transforming the Imperial Court Orchestra \u2013 a notoriously mediocre band \u2013 into the fine orchestra which was to become legendary as the Leningrad Philharmonic. Increasingly critical of the Bolsheviks, he left Russia in 1920 and became chief conductor of the Boston Symphony Orchestra (1924-49).<\/span><\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<h3 class=\""p1"\"><span class=\""s1"\">Samuil Samosud<\/span><span class=\""s2"\"> <i>(1884-1964)<\/i><\/span><\/h3>\n<iframe title=\""Samuil\" samosud=\"\" conducts=\"\" gounod=\"\" philemon=\"\" et=\"\" baucis=\"\" width=\""200"\" height=\""113"\" src=\""https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/Hwa3r3PVmUM?feature=oembed"\" frameborder=\""0"\" allow=\""accelerometer;\" autoplay=\"\" clipboard-write=\"\" encrypted-media=\"\" gyroscope=\"\" picture-in-picture=\"\" web-share=\"\" allowfullscreen=\"\"\/>\n<p class=\""p3"\"><span class=\""s1"\">As artistic director of the Mal\u00efy Theatre in Leningrad, Samosud conducted premieres of several key operas including <strong><a href=\""https:\/\/www.classical-music.com\/composers\/dmitri-shostakovich\/"\">Shostakovich<\/a><\/strong>\u2019s <i>The Nose<\/i> (1930), Dzerzhinsky\u2019s Stalin-approved <i>Quiet flows the Don<\/i> (1935) and Part I of <strong><a href=\""https:\/\/www.classical-music.com\/composers\/sergey-prokofiev\/"\">Prokofiev\u2019<\/a><\/strong>s <i>War and Peace<\/i> (1946), earning the Mal\u00efy its reputation as a \u2018laboratory of Soviet opera\u2019. Having an astute sense of drama, he persuaded Prokofiev to make major revisions to the \u2018War\u2019 half of his opera.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<h3 class=\""p1"\"><span class=\""s1"\">Vladimir Dranishnikov<\/span><span class=\""s2"\"><i> (1893-1939)<\/i> <\/span><\/h3>\n<p class=\""p3"\"><span class=\""s1"\">A fellow-pupil of Prokofiev in Nikolay Tcherepnin\u2019s conducting class, Dranishnikov became music director of the Mariinsky where he conducted the Soviet premiere of <i>Love for Three Oranges <\/i><\/span><span class=\""s1"\">a<\/span><span class=\""s1"\">s well as of <a href=\""https:\/\/www.classical-music.com\/composers\/alban-berg\/"\"><strong>Berg<\/strong><\/a>\u2019s <i>Wozzeck<\/i> and <strong><a href=\""https:\/\/www.classical-music.com\/composers\/richard-strauss\/"\">Strauss<\/a><\/strong>\u2019s <i>Rosenkavalier<\/i>. His championship of such \u2018bourgeois\u2019 fare earned mistrust from Stalinist watchdogs, and he was sacked in the 1930s. He died conducting in Kiev in 1939.<\/span><\/p>\n<ul><li><a class=\""standard-card-new__article-title"\" href=\""https:\/\/www.classical-music.com\/features\/works\/20-greatest-operas-all-time\/"\"><strong>The 20 greatest operas of all time<\/strong><\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<h3 class=\""p1"\"><span class=\""s1"\">Mstislav Rostropovich<\/span><span class=\""s2"\"> <i>(1927-2007)<\/i><\/span><\/h3>\n<iframe title=\""Dmitri\" shostakovich=\"\" symphony=\"\" no.=\"\" mstislav=\"\" rostropovich=\"\" conducting=\"\" the=\"\" lso=\"\" in=\"\" width=\""200"\" height=\""113"\" src=\""https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/NJFPWipfQxM?feature=oembed"\" frameborder=\""0"\" allow=\""accelerometer;\" autoplay=\"\" clipboard-write=\"\" encrypted-media=\"\" gyroscope=\"\" picture-in-picture=\"\" web-share=\"\" allowfullscreen=\"\"\/>\n<p class=\""p3"\"><span class=\""s1"\">Not content with being possibly the <strong><a href=\""https:\/\/www.classical-music.com\/features\/artists\/best-cellists\/"\">world\u2019s greatest cellist<\/a><\/strong>, Rostropovich took private lessons in conducting and made his debut with baton at his contemporary music festival in Gorky, 1962, followed in 1968 by his conducting Tchaikovsky\u2019s <i>Eugene Onegin<\/i> at Moscow\u2019s Bolshoi. Leaving the USSR in<\/span><span class=\""s1"\">1<\/span><span class=\""s1"\">974, his conducting career blossomed, buoyed by his inspiring musicianship.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>Fine cycles of the Shostakovich, Prokofiev and Tchaikovsky symphonies form the heart of Rostropovich\u2019s output as a conductor.<\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<h3 class=\""p4"\"><span class=\""s1"\">Alexander Gauk<\/span><span class=\""s2"\"><i> (1893-1963)<\/i> <\/span><\/h3>\n<p class=\""p2"\"><span class=\""s1"\">Though he earned Shostakovich\u2019s wrath for losing several of his manuscripts during World War II, Gauk was responsible for several of his premieres including the ballets <i>The Golden Age<\/i> and <i>The Bolt<\/i>, as well as <strong><a href=\""https:\/\/www.classical-music.com\/features\/articles\/introduction-shostakovichs-symphony-no-3\/"\">Symphony No. 3<\/a><\/strong>. He also reconstructed and performed <strong><a href=\""https:\/\/www.classical-music.com\/composers\/sergey-rachmaninov\/"\">Rachmaninov<\/a><\/strong>\u2019s \u2018lost\u2019 Symphony No. 1 from parts archived in the Moscow Conservatory in 1948. His pupils included Mravinsky and Svetlanov.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<h3 class=\""p4"\"><span class=\""s1"\">Yevgeny Mravinsky<\/span><span class=\""s2"\"> <i>(1903-88)<\/i> <\/span><\/h3>\n<p class=\""p2"\"><span class=\""s1"\">As chief conductor of the Leningrad Philharmonic from 1938, Mravinsky dominated Soviet music for 50 years. His legendary premiere of <strong><a href=\""https:\/\/www.classical-music.com\/features\/articles\/introduction-shostakovichs-symphony-no-5\/"\">Shostakovich\u2019s Fifth Symphony<\/a><\/strong> (1937), which may well have saved the composer\u2019s life, was his first of several of the composer\u2019s symphonies.<\/span><\/p>\n<ul><li><a class=\""standard-card-new__article-title"\" href=\""https:\/\/www.classical-music.com\/features\/works\/20-greatest-symphonies-all-time\/"\"><strong>The 20 greatest symphonies of all time<\/strong><\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span class=\""s1"\">Mravinsky\u2019s performances were meticulous and well drilled, and at their best they combined precision with passion. A great example here is the conductor\u2019s thrilling renditions of the final three Tchaikovsky symphonies, with his hometown band the Leningrad Philharmonic.<\/span><\/p>\n<ul><li><a class=\""standard-card-new__article-title"\" href=\""https:\/\/www.classical-music.com\/features\/recordings\/tchaikovsky-symphonies-nos-4-6\/"\"><strong>Review: Tchaikovsky: Symphonies Nos 4-6 (Leningrad Phil\/Mravinsky)<\/strong><\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<div class=\""monetizer__price-comparison-container"\" data-position=\""adhoc"\" hidden=\"\"> <h5 class=\""monetizer__price-comparison-title\" monetizer-title=\"\" style=\""background-color:\" color:=\"\"\/> <div id=\""monetizer__deals"\" data-type=\""price-comparison"\" data-config=\"'{"shopId":"1378","market":"gbp_en","template":"default","searchKeywords":"https:\\\/\\\/www.amazon.co.uk\\\/Tchaikovsky-Symphonies-Nos-4-Pathetique-Originals\\\/dp\\\/B000E0W24S\\\/ref=sr_1_1","excludeKeywords":"","geolocation":true,"limit":"4","priceRange":"4.2-7.8","sid":"term-classicalmusic-5-pcs-txt-pos"}'\"\/> <div class=\""monetizer__price-comparison-explanatory-text\" body-copy-extra-small=\"\" editor-content=\"\"\/><\/div> <p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<h3 class=\""p4"\"><span class=\""s1"\">Evgeny Svetlanov<\/span><span class=\""s2"\"> <i>(1928-2002)<\/i><\/span><\/h3>\n<iframe title=\""Evgeny\" svetlanov=\"\" conducts=\"\" video=\"\" width=\""200"\" height=\""150"\" src=\""https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/UBW67OB0TvU?feature=oembed"\" frameborder=\""0"\" allow=\""accelerometer;\" autoplay=\"\" clipboard-write=\"\" encrypted-media=\"\" gyroscope=\"\" picture-in-picture=\"\" web-share=\"\" allowfullscreen=\"\"\/>\n<p class=\""p2"\"><span class=\""s1"\">Svetlanov\u2019s recordings with Moscow\u2019s USSR State Symphony Orchestra, colourful and detailed if not always the last word in subtlety, have introduced many in the West to lesser-known Russian repertoire. He proudly claimed to have recorded the entire breadth of Russian symphonic music.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>A prolific as well as an exciting conductor, Svetlanov does indeed boast an impressive back catalogue. Not least among his achievements was setting down all 27 of Nikolai <a href=\""https:\/\/www.classical-music.com\/composers\/myaskovsky-nikolai\/"\"><strong>Myaskovsky<\/strong><\/a>\u2018s symphonies in almost universally fine performances. He also gave some fine accounts of the symphonies of that master melodist, Alexander Glazunov.<\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<h3>Kirill Kondrashin <em>(1914-1981)<\/em><\/h3>\n<p>In 1962 Kirill Kondrashin conducted the premiere of Shostakovich\u2019s Symphony No. 13, \u2018Babi Yar\u2019 after Yevgeny Mravinsky had unexpectedly backed out, evidently because it was too much of a political hot potato. Previously, Kondrashin had given the long-delayed first public performance of Shostakovich\u2019s Fourth Symphony in 1961, and he subsequently conducted the premieres of <em>The Execution of Stepan Razin<\/em> (1964) and the Violin Concerto No. 2 (1967).<\/p>\n<p>He became assistant principal conductor of the Concertgebouw Orchestra in 1975, and emigrated to the West in 1978. Thereafter, Kondrashin proved himself a pretty versatile conductor of the Austro-German repertoire and much else besides. For example, his urgent, propulsive <a href=\""https:\/\/www.classical-music.com\/composers\/antonin-dvorak\/"\"><strong>Dvo\u0159\u00e1k<\/strong><\/a> Symphony No. 9 \u2018<a href=\""https:\/\/www.classical-music.com\/features\/articles\/the-best-recordings-of-dvoraks-symphony-no-9-from-the-new-world\/"\"><strong>From the New World<\/strong><\/a>\u2018 with the Vienna Philharmonic (1980) is one of the best versions of a much-recorded symphony.<\/p>\n<iframe title=\""DVORAK:\" symphony=\"\" no.=\"\" in=\"\" e=\"\" minor=\"\" op.=\"\" the=\"\" new=\"\" world=\"\" kondrashin=\"\" wiener=\"\" philharmoniker=\"\" width=\""200"\" height=\""113"\" src=\""https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/NsAG8yM5yI8?feature=oembed"\" frameborder=\""0"\" allow=\""accelerometer;\" autoplay=\"\" clipboard-write=\"\" encrypted-media=\"\" gyroscope=\"\" picture-in-picture=\"\" web-share=\"\" allowfullscreen=\"\"\/>\n<ul><li><strong><a class=\""standard-card-new__article-title"\" href=\""https:\/\/www.classical-music.com\/features\/articles\/worlds-best-orchestras\/"\">The best orchestras in the world<\/a><\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<h3 class=\""p4"\"><span class=\""s1"\">Gennady Rozhdestvensky<\/span><span class=\""s2"\"> <i>(1931-\u00a02018)<\/i><\/span><\/h3>\n<p class=\""p2"\"><span class=\""s1"\">Rozhdestvensky was a brave champion of contemporary Soviet music, ignoring a veto by the head of the Composer\u2019s Union, Tikhon Khrennikov, to conduct the premiere of Schnittke\u2019s Symphony No. 1. He also premiered works of Denisov, Volkonsky and Gubaidulina. Known as a maverick, he was known to often wander off the podium and stand among his musicians while conducting a performance.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>Intriguingly, <span class=\""s1"\">Rozhdestvensky also conducted (with the State Symphony Orchestra of the USSR Ministry of Culture) a well-regarded cycle of the <a href=\""https:\/\/www.classical-music.com\/composers\/ralph-vaughan-williams\/"\"><strong>Vaughan Williams<\/strong><\/a> symphonies \u2013 an interesting case of a non-indigenous conductor and orchestra excelling in work that\u2019s often thought to be \u2018quintessentially English\u2019.<\/span><\/p>\n<ul><li><strong><a class=\""standard-card-new__article-title"\" href=\""https:\/\/www.classical-music.com\/features\/works\/which-is-the-best-vaughan-williams-symphony\/"\">Which is the best Vaughan Williams symphony?<\/a><\/strong><\/li>\n<li><strong><a class=\""standard-card-new__article-title"\" href=\""https:\/\/www.classical-music.com\/features\/works\/guide-vaughan-williamss-symphony-no-5\/"\">A guide to Vaughan Williams\u2019s Symphony No. 5<\/a><\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul><h3\/>\n<h3>Valery Gergiev (b. 1953)<\/h3>\n<p class=\""p1"\"><span class=\""s1"\">B<\/span><span class=\""s1"\">orn in Moscow in 1953, Gergiev grew up in North Ossetia where he began to study piano then conducting. He continued his studies under Ilya Musin (see p28) in the Leningrad Conservatory. In 1978 he made his debut at the Mariinsky (then named the Kirov) aged 25, and was elected chief conductor and artistic director in 1988.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>Gergiev\u2019s reputation, outside of Russia, is now tarnished by his ongoing support for Russian president Vladimir Putin. This has included endorsing not only the latter\u2019s invasion of Ukraine last year, but also his 2014 annexation of the Crimea and even the current <a href=\""https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Russian_gay_propaganda_law"\"><strong>homophobic legislation<\/strong><\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>His support for the Ukraine campaign quickly led to <a href=\""https:\/\/www.classical-music.com\/news\/valery-gergiev-dropped-by-festivals-concert-halls-and-management-due-to-his-ties-with-putin\/"\"><strong>Gergiev being dropped by festivals, concert halls and management<\/strong><\/a>. There\u2019s also the strong sense that Gergiev has overstretched himself and his orchestras, leading to a drop in standards.<\/p>\n<ul><li><strong><a class=\""standard-card-new__article-title"\" href=\""https:\/\/www.classical-music.com\/news\/valery-gergiev-forced-to-resign-from-edinburgh-festival-due-to-his-allegiance-to-putin\/"\">Valery Gergiev forced to resign from Edinburgh Festival due to his allegiance to Putin<\/a><\/strong><\/li>\n<li><strong><a class=\""standard-card-new__article-title"\" href=\""https:\/\/www.classical-music.com\/news\/valery-gergiev-responds-gay-rights-protestors\/"\">Valery Gergiev responds to gay rights protestors<\/a><\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<h3 style=\""font-weight:\"><strong>Mikhail Pletnev (b.1957)<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>Pletnev was born into a musical family and studied with Kira Shashkina, Evgeny Timakin, Yakov Flier and Lev Vlassenko. When he was 21, he won the Gold Medal at the VI International Tchaikovsky Competition in 1978, which propelled him onto the international stage.<\/p>\n<p>In 1990 he founded the Russian National Orchestra in the final year of the USSR\u2019s existence, the first professional ensemble to be fully independent of the state ministry of culture (though since 2009 it has been obliged to become a state ensemble). Recruited from former players of the Bolshoi Theatre Orchestra and the Moscow Philharmonic Orchestra, the orchestra\u2019s high quality coupled with Pletnev\u2019s evident talent as a conductor quickly secured it international acclaim, reinforced by its debut recording of Tchaikovsky\u2019s Sixth Symphony (released on Virgin Classics).<\/p>\n<p>Conductor and orchestra have since produced an acclaimed cycle of all six numbered Tchaikovsky symphonies (plus <strong><a href=\""https:\/\/www.classical-music.com\/features\/recordings\/best-recordings-tchaikovskys-manfred-symphony\/"\"><em>Manfred<\/em><\/a><\/strong> and other orchestral works) for Deutsche Grammophon.<\/p>\n<div class=\""monetizer__price-comparison-container"\" data-position=\""adhoc"\" hidden=\"\"> <h5 class=\""monetizer__price-comparison-title\" monetizer-title=\"\" style=\""background-color:\" color:=\"\"\/> <div id=\""monetizer__deals"\" data-type=\""price-comparison"\" data-config=\"'{"shopId":"1378","market":"gbp_en","template":"default","searchKeywords":"https:\\\/\\\/www.amazon.co.uk\\\/Tchaikovsky-Symphonies-Russian-National-Orchestra\\\/dp\\\/B003XWFLTM\\\/ref=sr_1_7","excludeKeywords":"","geolocation":true,"limit":"4","priceRange":"17.5-32.5","sid":"term-classicalmusic-5-pcs-txt-pos"}'\"\/> <div class=\""monetizer__price-comparison-explanatory-text\" body-copy-extra-small=\"\" editor-content=\"\"\/><\/div> <p>Pletnev has also helmed some first-rate recordings of some of the great Russian ballets, such as Tchaikovsky\u2019s <em>Sleeping Beauty<\/em> and Prokofiev\u2019s <em>Cinderella<\/em>.<\/p>\n<ul><li><strong><a class=\""standard-card-new__article-title"\" href=\""https:\/\/www.classical-music.com\/features\/works\/best-ballet-music\/"\">Best ballet music: the finest ballet scores of all time<\/a><\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>As a pianist, meanwhile, Pletnev has recorded <a href=\""https:\/\/www.classical-music.com\/composers\/ludwig-van-beethoven\/"\"><strong>Beethoven<\/strong><\/a> piano concertos, <a href=\""https:\/\/www.classical-music.com\/composers\/frederic-chopin\/"\"><strong>Chopin<\/strong><\/a> piano sonatas, and much more.<\/p>\n<ul><li><a class=\""standard-card-new__article-title"\" href=\""https:\/\/www.classical-music.com\/features\/artists\/20-greatest-pianists-all-time\/"\"><strong>The 20 greatest pianists of all time<\/strong><\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<h3 style=\""font-weight:\"><strong>Kirill Petrenko (b.\u00a01972)<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>The chief conductor of the Berlin Philharmonic, Kirill Petrenko was born in Russia but emigrated to Austria with his family when he was aged 18. He made his conducting debut in 1995 in Vorarlberg with a production of Britten\u2019s\u00a0<i>Let\u2019s Make an Opera<\/i>.<\/p>\n<div class=\""standard-card-new__display-row"\">\n<ul><li class=\""heading-4\" standard-card-new__display-title=\"\"><strong><a class=\""standard-card-new__article-title"\" href=\""https:\/\/www.classical-music.com\/news\/kirill-petrenko-new-berlin-phil-chief-conductor\/"\">Kirill Petrenko is new Berlin Phil chief conductor<\/a><\/strong><\/li>\n<li><strong><a class=\""standard-card-new__article-title"\" href=\""https:\/\/www.classical-music.com\/features\/artists\/berlin-philharmonics-past-chief-conductors\/"\">Who are the Berlin Philharmonic\u2019s past chief conductors?<\/a><\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul><\/div>\n<div class=\""standard-card-new__display-row"\">\n<div class=\""mt-xxs\" mb-xxs=\"\" rating=\"\">\n<div class=\""rating__values\" rating__values--no-rate=\"\" aria-label=\""rating"\">\n<div class=\""rating__stars\" d-flex=\"\"\/>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<h3 style=\""font-weight:\"><strong>Vladimir Jurowski (b. 1972)<\/strong><\/h3>\n<iframe title=\""Tchaikovsky\" symphony=\"\" vladimir=\"\" jurowski=\"\" conducts=\"\" the=\"\" lpo=\"\" width=\""200"\" height=\""113"\" src=\""https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/mzjGnpkYq4g?feature=oembed"\" frameborder=\""0"\" allow=\""accelerometer;\" autoplay=\"\" clipboard-write=\"\" encrypted-media=\"\" gyroscope=\"\" picture-in-picture=\"\" web-share=\"\" allowfullscreen=\"\"\/>\n<p class=\""p4"\"><span class=\""s1"\">Born in Moscow in 1972, Vladimir Jurowski is the son of the distinguished conductor Mikhail Jurowski. He has worked with some of the greatest orchestras in the world including London Philharmonic Orchestra (including conducting the at the BBC Proms in 2021), Bavarian State Opera, Berlin Radio Symphony Orchestra and Russian State Academic Symphony Orchestra. <\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\""p4"\"><span class=\""s1"\">He<\/span>\u00a0has received the <strong><a href=\""https:\/\/www.classical-music.com\/features\/artists\/previous-winners-of-the-rps-gold-medal-complete-list\/"\">Royal Philharmonic Society Gold Medal<\/a><\/strong>, one of the highest international honours in music.<\/p>\n<ul><li><strong><a class=\""standard-card-new__article-title"\" href=\""https:\/\/www.classical-music.com\/news\/vladimir-jurowski-awarded-royal-philharmonic-society-gold-medal\/"\">Vladimir Jurowski awarded Royal Philharmonic Society Gold Medal<\/a><\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul><h3 style=\""font-weight:\"><strong>Vasily Petrenko (b.1976)<\/strong><\/h3>\n<iframe title=\""Symphony\" no.=\"\" pyotr=\"\" tchaikovsky=\"\" vasily=\"\" petrenko=\"\" oslo=\"\" philharmonic=\"\" width=\""200"\" height=\""113"\" src=\""https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/VMTBLuMzvs0?feature=oembed"\" frameborder=\""0"\" allow=\""accelerometer;\" autoplay=\"\" clipboard-write=\"\" encrypted-media=\"\" gyroscope=\"\" picture-in-picture=\"\" web-share=\"\" allowfullscreen=\"\"\/>\n<p class=\""p2"\"><span class=\""s1"\"> Vasily Petrenko has gained an international reputation as a versatile conductor as much at ease in the opera house as in the concert hall. Rigorous training at the hands of the Soviet system allowed him to progress quickly, becoming resident conductor at the St Petersburg State Opera and Ballet Theatre while he was still only 18. <\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\""p2"\"><span class=\""s1"\">In 2004, Petrenko was appointed chief conductor of the State Academy Orchestra of St Petersburg. <\/span><span class=\""s1"\">He is currently\u00a0chief conductor of the\u00a0<a title=\""European\" union=\"\" youth=\"\" orchestra=\"\" href=\""https:\/\/www.classical-music.com\/features\/recordings\/what-european-union-youth-orchestra\/"\"><strong>European Union Youth Orchestra<\/strong><\/a>, and music director of the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\""p2"\"><span class=\""s1"\">Last year, <a href=\""https:\/\/www.classical-music.com\/news\/vasily-petrenko-steps-away-from-post-at-russian-orchestra-until-peace-is-restored\/"\"><strong>Petrenko resigned as principal conductor of the<\/strong> <strong>State Academic Symphony Orchestra of the Russian Federation<\/strong><\/a> in protest at the Ukraine invasion.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>Petrenko\u2019s discography includes a superb run-through of Shostakovich\u2019s 15 symphonies with his former band, the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra. Definitely one of the best Shostakovich symphony cycles out there.<\/p>\n<ul><li><strong><a class=\""standard-card-new__article-title"\" href=\""https:\/\/www.classical-music.com\/news\/royal-liverpool-philharmonic-orchestra-and-vasily-petrenko-win-recording-year\/"\">The Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra and Vasily Petrenko win Recording of the Year<\/a><\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<div class=\""monetizer__price-comparison-container"\" data-position=\""adhoc"\" hidden=\"\"> <h5 class=\""monetizer__price-comparison-title\" monetizer-title=\"\" style=\""background-color:\" color:=\"\"\/> <div id=\""monetizer__deals"\" data-type=\""price-comparison"\" data-config=\"'{"shopId":"1378","market":"gbp_en","template":"default","searchKeywords":"https:\\\/\\\/www.amazon.co.uk\\\/Shostakovich-Symphonies-Vinogradov-Huddersfield-Philharmonic\\\/dp\\\/B011A8X3B8\\\/ref=sr_1_1","excludeKeywords":"","geolocation":true,"limit":"4","priceRange":"21-39","sid":"term-classicalmusic-5-pcs-txt-pos"}'\"\/> <div class=\""monetizer__price-comparison-explanatory-text\" body-copy-extra-small=\"\" editor-content=\"\"\/><\/div> <p>A friend of <em>BBC Music Magazine<\/em>, Petrenko has also written for us an insightful series of <a href=\""https:\/\/www.classical-music.com\/search\/?q=shostakovich+symphony"\"><strong>guides to the Shostakovich symphonies<\/strong><\/a>.<\/p>\n<section class=\""highlight\"> <div class=\""highlight__content\" editor-content=\"\"> \n<ul>\n<li><strong><a href=\""https:\/\/www.classical-music.com\/features\/articles\/first-conductor\/"\">Who was the first conductor? A look at the history of conducting<\/a><\/strong><\/li>\n<li><strong><a href=\""https:\/\/www.classical-music.com\/features\/artists\/best-finnish-conductors\/"\">Five of the best Finnish conductors<\/a><\/strong><\/li>\n<li><strong><a href=\""https:\/\/www.classical-music.com\/features\/artists\/the-london-symphony-orchestra-five-famous-conductors\/"\">London Symphony Orchestra: five famous conductors<\/a><\/strong><\/li>\n<li><strong><a href=\""https:\/\/www.classical-music.com\/features\/articles\/what-does-a-conductor-do\/"\">What does a conductor do?<\/a><\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p> <\/p><\/div> <\/section> <hr\/>\n<p>Main image \u00a9 Getty Images<\/p> <\/body><\/html>\n<hr class=\"no-tts wp-block-separator\"\/>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p> The legendary Russian conductors who propelled a nation to musical greatness <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":24,"featured_media":28279,"template":"","categories":[1],"acf":{"readingTimeMinutes":"8"},"uagb_featured_image_src":{"full":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2023\/05\/14-best-russian-conductors-the-greatest-maestros-from-the-last-150-years.jpg",1890,1255,false],"thumbnail":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2023\/05\/14-best-russian-conductors-the-greatest-maestros-from-the-last-150-years-150x150.jpg",150,150,true],"medium":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2023\/05\/14-best-russian-conductors-the-greatest-maestros-from-the-last-150-years-300x199.jpg",300,199,true],"medium_large":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2023\/05\/14-best-russian-conductors-the-greatest-maestros-from-the-last-150-years-768x510.jpg",768,510,true],"large":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2023\/05\/14-best-russian-conductors-the-greatest-maestros-from-the-last-150-years-1024x680.jpg",800,531,true],"1536x1536":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2023\/05\/14-best-russian-conductors-the-greatest-maestros-from-the-last-150-years-1536x1020.jpg",1536,1020,true],"2048x2048":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2023\/05\/14-best-russian-conductors-the-greatest-maestros-from-the-last-150-years.jpg",1890,1255,false]},"uagb_author_info":{"display_name":"importmanagerhub@sprylab.com","author_link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcmusicmagazine\/author\/importmanagerhubsprylab-com\/"},"uagb_comment_info":0,"uagb_excerpt":"The legendary Russian conductors who propelled a nation to musical greatness","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcmusicmagazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/rss_feed\/28278"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcmusicmagazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/rss_feed"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcmusicmagazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/rss_feed"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcmusicmagazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/24"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcmusicmagazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/28279"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcmusicmagazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=28278"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcmusicmagazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=28278"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}