“Moscow Virtuosos” (Moscow Virtuosi) |

Moscow Virtuosi

State Chamber Orchestra “Moscow Virtuosos”

In the 70s of the XX century, chamber orchestras with permanent and temporary compositions already worked in philharmonics throughout Russia. And a new generation of listeners discovered the true scope of the chamber music of Bach, Haydn, Mozart. It was then that the world-famous violinist Vladimir Spivakov had a dream of an “ensemble of ensembles”.

In 1979, the dream came true in the creation of a team of like-minded people under the proud name “Moscow Virtuosi”. The successful name became a call for creative rivalry with the virtuosos of many capitals of the world. The young Russian team united the laureates of state prizes, winners of all-Union competitions, leading artists of the capital’s orchestras. The idea of ​​chamber music, where each performer can prove himself both as a soloist and as a master of playing in an ensemble, has never been unattractive to true artists.

Its founder Vladimir Spivakov became the chief conductor and soloist of the orchestra. The beginning of his conducting career was preceded by serious long-term work. Maestro Spivakov studied conducting with the famous professor Israel Gusman in Russia, as well as with outstanding conductors Lorin Maazel and Leonard Bernstein in the USA. At the end of his studies, L. Bernstein presented Vladimir Spivakov with his conductor’s baton, thereby symbolically blessing him as a novice but promising conductor. Since then, the maestro has never parted with this conductor’s baton.

The high demands that the artistic director made on his team stimulated the musicians to improve their performance level. In the first composition of the Virtuosos, the accompanists of the groups were the musicians of the Borodin Quartet. Their brilliant performance inspired colleagues for creative growth. All this, together with constant rehearsals and fiery enthusiasm, allowed the orchestra to create “its own”, individual style. At the concerts there was an atmosphere of truly momentary, creatively relaxed music-making, when there is a feeling that music is being born right before the eyes of the listeners. A genuine ensemble of virtuoso musicians was born, in which the performers learned the ability to listen and respect each other, “breathe at the same time”, equally “feel the music”.

Taking part in the international festivals in Spain and Germany in the seasons of 1979 and 1980, Vladimir Spivakov’s team becomes a world-class orchestra. And after a while it is considered one of the favorite musical groups of the Soviet Union. In 1982, the orchestra received the official name of the State Chamber Orchestra of the USSR Ministry of Culture “Moscow Virtuosi”. Deserving international recognition, year after year, for more than 25 years, the orchestra has worthily represented the Russian performing school all over the world.

The geography of the Moscow Virtuosi tours is extremely wide. It includes all regions of Russia, countries that were once part of the Soviet Union, but are still a single cultural space for the orchestra and its listeners, Europe, the USA and Japan.

The orchestra performs not only in the best and most prestigious halls, such as the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam, the Musikferrhein in Vienna, the Royal Festival Hall and the Albert Hall in London, the Pleyel and the Théâtre des Champs Elysées in Paris , Carnegie Hall and Avery Fisher Hall in New York, Suntory Hall in Tokyo, but also in ordinary concert halls of small provincial towns.

At different times such outstanding musicians as M. Rostropovich, Y. Bashmet, E. Kissin, V. Krainev, E. Obraztsova, I. Menuhin, P. Zukerman, S. Mints, M. Pletnev, J. Norman have performed with the orchestra , S. Sondeckis, V. Feltsman, members of the Borodin Quartet and others.

Moscow Virtuosos have repeatedly taken part in the best international music festivals in Salzburg (Austria), Edinburgh (Scotland), Florence and Pompeii (Italy), Lucerne and Gstaad (Switzerland), Rheingau and Schleswig-Holstein (Germany) and many others. Special relations have developed with the International Music Festival in Colmar (France), whose artistic director is Vladimir Spivakov. Popularity among the French public and other guests of the festival made the Moscow Virtuosos a regular guest at this annual event.

The orchestra has an extensive discography: BMG/RCA Victor Red Seal and the Moscow Virtuosos have recorded about 30 CDs with music of various styles and eras, from baroque to works by Penderecki, Schnittke, Gubaidullina, Pärt and Kancheli. Since 2003, the permanent rehearsal base of the orchestra has been the Moscow International House of Music.

Source: official website of the orchestra