Yuri Khatuevich Temirkanov |

Yuri Temirkanov

Born December 10, 1938 in Nalchik. His father, Temirkanov Khatu Sagidovich, was the head of the Department of Arts of the Kabardino-Balkarian Autonomous Republic, was friends with the composer Sergei Prokofiev, who worked during the 1941 evacuation in Nalchik. Part of the troupe of the famous Moscow Art Theater was also evacuated here, among which were Nemirovich-Danchenko, Kachalov, Moskvin, Knipper-Chekhova, who performed in the city theater. The environment of his father and the theatrical atmosphere became a stepping stone for the future musician in familiarizing himself with high culture.

The first teachers of Yuri Temirkanov were Valery Fedorovich Dashkov and Truvor Karlovich Sheybler. The latter is a student of Glazunov, a graduate of the Petrograd Conservatory, a composer and folklorist, he greatly contributed to the expansion of Yuri’s artistic horizons. When Temirkanov finished school, it was decided that it would be best for him to continue his studies in the city on the Neva. So in Nalchik, Yuri Khatuevich Temirkanov was predetermined the path to Leningrad, the city that shaped him as a musician and a person.

In 1953, Yuri Temirkanov entered the Secondary Special Music School at the Leningrad Conservatory, in the violin class of Mikhail Mikhailovich Belyakov.

After leaving school, Temirkanov studied at the Leningrad Conservatory (1957-1962). Studying in the viola class, which was led by Grigory Isaevich Ginzburg, Yuri simultaneously attended the conducting classes of Ilya Aleksandrovich Musin and Nikolai Semenovich Rabinovich. The first one showed him the difficult technology of the conductor’s craft, the second taught him to treat the conductor’s profession with emphasized seriousness. This prompted Y.Temirkanov to continue his education.

From 1962 to 1968, Temirkanov was again a student, and then a graduate student of the conducting department. After graduating in 1965 from the class of opera and symphony conducting, he made his debut at the Leningrad Maly Opera and Ballet Theater in the play “La Traviata” by G. Verdi. Among the other most significant conductor works in those years were Donizetti’s Love Potion (1968), Gershwin’s Porgy and Bess (1972).

In 1966, 28-year-old Temirkanov won the first prize at the II All-Union Conducting Competition in Moscow. Immediately after the competition, he went on tour in America with K. Kondrashin, D. Oistrakh and the Moscow Philharmonic Symphony Orchestra.

From 1968 to 1976 Yuri Temirkanov headed the Academic Symphony Orchestra of the Leningrad Philharmonic. From 1976 to 1988 he was artistic director and chief conductor of the Kirov (now the Mariinsky) Opera and Ballet Theatre. Under his leadership, the theater staged such landmark productions as “War and Peace” by S. Prokofiev (1977), “Dead Souls” by R. Shchedrin (1978), “Peter I” (1975), “Pushkin” (1979) and Mayakovsky Begins by A. Petrov (1983), Eugene Onegin (1982) and The Queen of Spades by P. I. Tchaikovsky (1984), Boris Godunov by M. P. Mussorgsky (1986), which became significant events in the musical life of the country and marked by high awards. Music lovers not only of Leningrad, but also of many other cities dreamed of getting to these performances!

The artistic director of the Bolshoi Drama Theater G.A. Tovstonogov, after listening to “Eugene Onegin” in Kirovsky, said to Temirkanov: “How well in the final you shoot Onegin’s fate …” (After the words “Oh, my miserable lot!”)

With the theater team, Temirkanov repeatedly went on tour to many European countries, for the first time in the history of the famous team – to England, as well as to Japan and the USA. He was the first to introduce symphony concerts with the orchestra of the Kirov Theater into practice. Y. Temirkanov successfully conducted on many famous opera stages.

In 1988, Yuri Temirkanov was elected chief conductor and artistic director of the Honored Collective of Russia – the Academic Symphony Orchestra of the St. Petersburg Philharmonic named after D. D. Shostakovich. “I am proud to be an elective conductor. If I’m not mistaken, this is the first time in the history of musical culture that the collective itself decided who should lead it. Until now, all conductors have been appointed “from above,” says Yuri Temirkanov about his election.

It was then that Temirkanov formulated one of his fundamental principles: “You cannot make musicians blind executors of someone else’s will. Only participation, only the consciousness that we are all doing one common thing together, can give the desired result. And he didn’t have to wait long. Under the leadership of Yu.Kh. Temirkanov, the authority and popularity of the St. Petersburg Philharmonic increased extraordinary. In 1996 it was recognized as the best concert organization in Russia.

Yuri Temirkanov has performed with many of the world’s largest symphony orchestras: the Philadelphia Orchestra, the Concertgebouw (Amsterdam), Cleveland, Chicago, New York, San Francisco, Santa Cecilia, Philharmonic Orchestras: Berlin, Vienna, etc.

Since 1979, Y. Temirkanov has been the principal guest conductor of the Philadelphia and London Royal Orchestras, and since 1992 he has led the latter. Then Yuri Temirkanov was Principal Guest Conductor of the Dresden Philharmonic Orchestra (since 1994), the Danish National Radio Symphony Orchestra (since 1998). Having celebrated the twentieth anniversary of his collaboration with the London Royal Orchestra, he left the post of its chief conductor, retaining the title of Honorary Conductor of this ensemble.

After the military events in Afghanistan, Y. Temirkanov became the first Russian conductor to tour the United States at the invitation of the New York Philharmonic, and in 1996 in Rome he conducted a jubilee concert in honor of the 50th anniversary of the UN. In January 2000, Yuri Temirkanov became Principal Conductor and Artistic Director of the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra (USA).

Yuri Temirkanov is one of the greatest conductors of the 60th century. Having crossed the threshold of his XNUMXth birthday, the maestro is at the zenith of fame, fame and world recognition. He delights the listeners with his bright temperament, strong-willed determination, depth and scale of performing ideas. “This is a conductor who hides passion under a stern appearance. His gestures are often unexpected, but always restrained, and his manner of sculpting, shaping the sound mass with his melodious fingers makes a grandiose orchestra out of hundreds of musicians” (“Eslain Pirene”). “Full of charm, Temirkanov works with an orchestra with which his life, his work, and his image have merged…” (“La Stampa”).

Temirkanov’s creative style is original and distinguished by its bright expressiveness. He is sensitive to the peculiarities of the styles of composers of different eras and subtly, inspiredly interprets their music. His mastery is distinguished by a virtuoso conductor’s technique, subject to a deep understanding of the author’s intention. The role of Yuri Temirkanov in the promotion of Russian classical and modern music is especially significant both in Russia and in other countries of the world.

The ability of the maestro to easily establish contact with any musical group and achieve the solution of the most difficult performing tasks is admirable.

Yuri Temirkanov recorded a huge number of CDs. In 1988, he signed an exclusive contract with the BMG record label. The extensive discography includes recordings with the Academic Symphony Orchestra of the Leningrad Philharmonic, with the London Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, with the New York Philharmonic…

In 1990, together with Columbia Artists, Temirkanov recorded a Gala Concert dedicated to the 150th anniversary of the birth of P.I. Tchaikovsky, in which soloists Yo-Yo Ma, I. Perlman, J. Norman took part.

Recordings of S. Prokofiev’s music for the film “Alexander Nevsky” (1996) and D. Shostakovich’s Symphony No. 7 (1998) were nominated for the Sgatt Prize.

Yuri Temirkanov generously shares his skills with young conductors. He is a professor at the St. Petersburg Conservatory named after N.A. Rimsky-Korsakov, an honorary professor at many foreign academies, including an honorary member of the US International Academy of Sciences, Industry, Education and Art. He regularly gives master classes at the Curtis Institute (Philadelphia), as well as at the Manhattan School of Music (New York), at the Academia Chighana (Siena, Italy).

Yu.Kh. Temirkanov – People’s Artist of the USSR (1981), People’s Artist of the RSFSR (1976), People’s Artist of the Kabardino-Balkarian ASSR (1973), Honored Artist of the RSFSR (1971), twice winner of the USSR State Prizes (1976, 1985), laureate of the State Prize of the RSFSR named after M.I. Glinka (1971). He was awarded the Orders of Lenin (1983), “For Merit to the Fatherland” III degree (1998), the Bulgarian Order of Cyril and Methodius (1998).

By the nature of his work, Temirkanov has to communicate with the most amazing and bright people, outstanding domestic and foreign figures of culture and art. He was proud and proud of his friendship with I. Menuhin, B. Pokrovsky, P. Kogan, A. Schnittke, G. Kremer, R. Nureyev, M. Plisetskaya, R. Shchedrin, I. Brodsky, V. Tretyakov, M. Rostropovich , S. Ozawa and many other musicians and artists.

Lives and works in St. Petersburg.