Pavel Sorokin |

Pavel Sorokin

Born in Moscow in the family of famous artists of the Bolshoi Theater – singer Tamara Sorokina and dancer Shamil Yagudin. In 1985 he graduated with honors from the piano department (class of Lev Naumov), in 89, also with honors, from the department of opera and symphony conducting (class of Yuri Simonov) of the Moscow State Tchaikovsky Conservatory.

In 1983 he was admitted to the Bolshoi Theater as a ballet accompanist. From 1987 to 89, he trained, improving his conducting skills, at the Paris Conservatory in the class of Professor J. S. Berraud. In the summer of 1989, he participated in the Tanglewood Festival held by the Boston Symphony Orchestra (BSO). Trained at the BSO under Seiji Ozawa and Leonard Bernstein. At the end of the internship (he received an excellent certification and the opportunity to give a concert in a prestigious American concert hall), he entered the Bolshoi Theater by competition.

During his work at the theater, he staged productions of the opera Iolanta by P. Tchaikovsky (1997), the ballets Petrushka by I. Stravinsky (1991), Le Corsaire by A. Adam (1992, 1994), The Prodigal Son ” S. Prokofiev (1992), “La Sylphide” by H. Levenshell (1994), “Swan Lake” by P. Tchaikovsky (restored version of the first production by Y. Grigorovich, 2001), “Legend of Love” by A. Melikov (2002), Raymonda by A. Glazunov (2003), Bright Stream (2003) and Bolt (2005) by D. Shostakovich, Flames of Paris by B. Asafiev (2008 G.).

In 1996, he was Mstislav Rostropovich’s assistant when he staged M. Mussorgsky’s opera Khovanshchina in D. Shostakovich’s version at the Bolshoi Theater. Maestro Rostropovich handed over this performance to Pavel Sorokin after he stopped conducting it himself.

The conductor’s repertoire also includes the operas “Ivan Susanin” by M. Glinka, “Oprichnik”, “The Maid of Orleans”, “Eugene Onegin”, “The Queen of Spades” by P. Tchaikovsky, “Prince Igor” by A. Borodin, “Khovanshchina” by M. Mussorgsky ( edition by N. Rimsky-Korsakov), The Tsar’s Bride, Mozart and Salieri, The Golden Cockerel by N. Rimsky-Korsakov, Francesca da Rimini by S. Rachmaninoff, Betrothal in a Monastery and The Gambler by S. Prokofiev , “The Barber of Seville” by G. Rossini, “La Traviata”, “Un ballo in maschera”, “Macbeth” by G. Verdi, ballets “The Nutcracker” and “Sleeping Beauty” by P. Tchaikovsky, “The Golden Age” by D. Shostakovich, “Sketches” A. Schnittke, “Giselle” by A. Adam, “Chopiniana” to the music of F. Chopin, symphonic works by Western European, Russian and contemporary composers.

In 2000-02 Pavel Sorokin was the chief conductor of the State Radio and Television Symphony Orchestra. In 2003-07 He was the chief conductor of the Russian Symphony Orchestra.

The conductor’s discography includes recordings of works by P. Tchaikovsky, S. Rachmaninov, E. Grieg, made with the Academic Symphony Orchestra of the Moscow State Philharmonic Society and the State Symphony Orchestra of Radio and Television.

Currently, Pavel Sorokin conducts at the Bolshoi Theater the operas Khovanshchina by M. Mussorgsky, Eugene Onegin, Iolanthe by P. Tchaikovsky, The Tsar’s Bride, The Golden Cockerel by N. Rimsky-Korsakov, Lady Macbeth of the Mtsensk District D. Shostakovich, Macbeth by G. Verdi, Carmen G. Bizet, ballets Giselle by A. Adam, Swan Lake by P. Tchaikovsky, Raymonda by A. Glazunov, Spartacus by A. Khachaturian, The Bright Stream and “Bolt” by D. Shostakovich, “The Legend of Love” by A. Melikov, “Chopiniana” to the music of F. Chopin, “Carmen Suite” by J. Bizet – R. Shchedrin.

Source: Bolshoi Theater website