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

Moscow Moscow is the Capital city, capital and List of cities and towns in Russia by population, largest city of Russia, standing on the Moskva (river), Moskva River in Central Russia. It has a population estimated at over 13 million residents with ...

. 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 Tchaikovsky Moscow State Conservatory () is a higher musical educational institution located in Moscow, Russia. It grants undergraduate and graduate degrees in musical performance and musical research. Th ...

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 (; 30 March 1963) was a Soviet conductor and composer. Biography Alexander Gauk was born in Odessa in 1893. He recalled his first experience as hearing army bands and his mother singing and accompanying herself at the ...

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

Soviet Union The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR), commonly known as the Soviet Union, was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 until Dissolution of the Soviet ...

. The orchestra's longest serving music director was

Evgeny Svetlanov Yevgeny Fyodorovich Svetlanov (; 6 September 1928 – 3 May 2002) was a Soviet and Russian conductor, composer, and pianist. Life and work Svetlanov was born in Moscow and studied conducting with Alexander Gauk at the Moscow Conservatory. From 1 ...

, 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 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 conducting, conductor resident in Germany. He is the son of conductor Michail Jurowski, and grandson of Soviet film music composer Vladimir Michailovich Jurowski. Early life B ...

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 (; born 7 July 1976) is a Russian-British conductor. He is currently music director of the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra. Biography Of Russian and Ukrainian ancestry, Petrenko was born in Leningrad, USSR. He attend ...

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. On 1 March 2022, Petrenko announced a suspension of his work with the orchestra, in the wake of 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 ...

. Later in 2022, under duress from the

Russian Ministry of Culture The Ministry of Culture of the Russian Federation () is a ministry of the Government of Russia responsible for state policy in cultural spheres such as art, cinematography, archives, copyright, cultural heritage, and censorship. Formation and ...

, Petrenko submitted a letter of resignation from the orchestra.

Music Directors/Principal Conductors

(1936–1941) *

Natan Rakhlin Natan Hryhorovych Rakhlin (28 June 1979) was a Soviet and Ukrainian Jewish conductor. Biography Rakhlin was born January 10, 1906, in Snovsk, Gorodnyansky Uyezd, Chernigov Governorate, Russian Empire. He served as Artistic Director of the Ukr ...

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

(1965–2000) *

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

(2000–2002) * Mark Gorenstein (2002–2011) *

(2011–2021) *

(2021–2022)

References

External links

Official English-language homepage of the State Academic Symphony Orchestra "Evgeny Svetlanov"
{{Authority control Musical groups established in 1936 Russian symphony orchestras 1936 establishments in the Soviet Union Orchestras in Moscow National orchestras of Russia Soviet musical groups