St. Petersburg Philharmonic Orchestra

O wydarzeniu

The pianist Eliso Virsaladze and the St. Petersburg Philharmonic Orchestra will perform works by Prokofiev, Ravel, and Shostakovich at the Cankarjev Dom.

“The crown jewel of Russian orchestras” with the sound of a dark opal, the St Petersburg Philharmonic Orchestra was founded in 1882 to perform in the “royal presence” – at receptions and official ceremonies and at balls, plays and concerts at the Royal Court. In the early 20th century the Orchestra was entitled to perform at commercial concerts for general public. In 1917, the Orchestra became the State Orchestra and following the Decree of 1921 it was incorporated into the newly founded Petrograd Philharmonic, the first of its kind in the country. In 1938, Evgeny Mravinsky, the winner of the First Prize at the National Contest of Conductors, joined the orchestra and for the next 50 years gradually transformed it into one of the best orchestras in the world. Under his guidance, the Orchestra dedicated considerable attention to contemporary (particularly Russian) music, toured abroad and performed under various guest conductors.

In 1988, on the initiative of the orchestra, Yuri Temirkanov became the principal conductor of the most famous national orchestra, and thus commenced the “Temirkanov era”, a period of collaboration with one of the most demanded conductors of our time. For the past several years, the orchestra has performed in the most prestigious concert halls of the world, and toured across Russia, Japan, Europe and the USA. As a conductor, he aims at pursuing the warmth of sensuality, giving it precedence over the coldness of precision; he does not only show how music is made but also why. An award‐winner of numerous Russian and international accolades, Maestro Temirkanov is a frequent guest conductor of major orchestras in Europe, Asia and the US. He also hosts the annual International Winter Festival Arts Square in St Petersburg, Russia.

Georgian pianist Eliso Virsaladze ranks among the most highly respected performers of her generation, both past and present. Sviatoslav Richter, for example, touted her as the finest Schumann interpreter of her time. She is also well known for her renditions of classical, Romantic as well as contemporary composers. Virsaladze regularly gives recitals, appears in chamber music concerts and as a soloist with acclaimed orchestras. Also renowned as an outstanding teacher, Virsaladze has made numerous recordings for various labels.