Tugan Taymurazovich Sokhiev (; ; born 21 October 1977,
Ordzhonikidze,
North Ossetian ASSR) is a Russian conductor.
Biography
Sokhiev began piano studies at age 7. He first conducted at age 17, inspired by Anatoly Briskin, the conductor of the North Ossetia State Philharmonic Orchestra. He subsequently attended the
Saint Petersburg Conservatory, where he was one of the last students of
Ilya Musin before the latter's death in 1999.
Sokhiev's first opera as a conductor was in a production of ''
La bohème
''La bohème'' ( , ) is an opera in four acts,Puccini called the divisions '':wikt:quadro, quadri'', ''wikt:tableau, tableaux'' or "images", rather than ''atti'' (acts). composed by Giacomo Puccini between 1893 and 1895 to an Italian libretto b ...
'' in
Iceland
Iceland is a Nordic countries, Nordic island country between the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic and Arctic Oceans, on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge between North America and Europe. It is culturally and politically linked with Europe and is the regi ...
.
Following that production in Iceland, General Director of
Welsh National Opera (WNO) Anthony Freud named Sokhiev WNO's music director in December 2001, effective from 2003, for an initial contract of 5 years.
His initial conducting work with WNO as music director was in revivals of ''
Don Giovanni
''Don Giovanni'' (; K. 527; full title: , literally ''The Rake Punished, or Don Giovanni'') is an opera in two acts with music by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart to an Italian libretto by Lorenzo Da Ponte. Its subject is a centuries-old Spanish legen ...
'', ''
Cavalleria rusticana'' and ''
Pagliacci
''Pagliacci'' (; literal translation, 'Clowns') is an Italian opera in a prologue and two acts, with music and libretto by Ruggero Leoncavallo. The opera tells the tale of Canio, actor and leader of a commedia dell'arte theatrical company, who mu ...
''.
His first new production as WNO music director was of ''
Eugene Onegin
''Eugene Onegin, A Novel in Verse'' (, Reforms of Russian orthography, pre-reform Russian: Евгеній Онѣгинъ, романъ въ стихахъ, ) is a novel in verse written by Alexander Pushkin. ''Onegin'' is considered a classic of ...
''. He was also in charge of the Russian Series for WNO which contained works by many famous Russian composers. In August 2004, Sokhiev resigned from WNO with immediate effect, after problems with the cast of their new production of
Verdi's ''
La traviata''. Reports indicated a decline in morale among the WNO orchestra and chorus, and questions about whether Sokhiev was too young and inexperienced for the post.
In 2005, Sokhiev became principal guest conductor and musical adviser with the
Orchestre national du Capitole de Toulouse. He received the accolade 'Révélation musicale de l'année' from the French Critics' Union in 2005, after a Paris performance with the Capitole de Toulouse orchestra. In September 2008, he became the orchestra's music director. His most recent Capitole de Toulouse contract extension, announced in December 2019, was through the summer of 2021.
In September 2010, Sokhiev was named principal conductor and artistic director of the
Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin (DSO Berlin), effective in 2012, with an initial contract of 4 years. He took the title of principal conductor designate with immediate effect. In January 2014, the
Bolshoi Theatre named Sokhiev its new music director, with an initial contract of 4 years, effective 1 February 2014. In October 2014, Sokhiev stated his intention to stand down from his DSO Berlin post after the 2015–2016 season, to devote greater attention to his Bolshoi post.
On 6 March 2022, Sokhiev resigned as both music director of the Bolshoi Theatre and music director of the Orchestre national du Capitole de Toulouse, citing pressure to make a public statement regarding the
2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine
On 24 February 2022, , starting the largest and deadliest war in Europe since World War II, in a major escalation of the Russo-Ukrainian War, conflict between the two countries which began in 2014. The fighting has caused hundreds of thou ...
.
On 13 June 2025, he conducted the
Vienna Philharmonic Summer Concert.
Discography
*
Prokofiev: ''Symphonie No. 5, Scythian Suite,'' Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin, Sony Classical, Germany 2016, CD.
*
Brahms: ''A Flight through the Orchestra – Brahms Symphony No. 2,'' Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin, EuroArts Music International, Germany 2015, DVD/Blu-ray.
* Prokofiev: ''Ivan the Terrible,'' Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin, Sony Classical, Germany 2014, CD.
*
Stravinsky: ''L'oiseau de feu, Le sacre du printemps,'' Orchestre National du Capitole de Toulouse, Naïve, France 2012, CD.
* Prokofiev: ''Violin Concerto No. 2,''
Rachmaninoff: ''Symphonic Dances,'' Orchestre National du Capitole de Toulouse, Naïve, France, 2011, CD.
*
Mussorgsky: ''Pictures at an Exhibition,''
Tchaikovsky: ''Symphony No. 4,'' Orchestre National du Capitole de Toulouse, Naïve, France 2006, CD.
* Prokofiev: ''Peter and the Wolf,'' Orchestre National du Capitole de Toulouse, Naïve, France 2007, CD.
References
External links
ЧУДО-ДИРИЖЕР РОДОМ ИЗ ВЛАДИКАВКАЗА. Журнал "Горец". Для тех, кто любит высотуBiography of Tugan Sokhievon the Askonas Holt website
French-language biography of Sokhiev from Orchestre national du Capitole de Toulouse page
{{DEFAULTSORT:Sokhiev, Tugan
1977 births
Living people
20th-century Russian conductors (music)
20th-century Russian male musicians
21st-century Russian conductors (music)
21st-century Russian male musicians
Honored Artists of the Russian Federation
Knights of the Ordre national du Mérite
Recipients of the Medal of the Order "For Merit to the Fatherland", 1st class
Ossetian male musicians
People from Vladikavkaz
Music directors (opera)
Russian male conductors (music)
Chief conductors of the Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin