Yuri Temirkanov

Biography

Was born in 1938 in Nalchik.
1953-1957: - He attended the Leningrad Conservatory's Secondary Special Music School.
1962: - He graduated from the Leningrad Conservatory (orchestral department) and stayed on to continue his studies as a student and finished with a postgraduate degree in conducting.
At the age of 28, he won first prize at the 2nd All-Union Conductors Competition in Moscow. This was followed by a tour of America with Kirill Kondrashin, David Oistrakh and the Moscow Philharmonic Symphony Orchestra.
1966-1972: - He worked at the Leningrad Maly Opera and Ballet Theatre. His main operas during these years were: La Traviata (1966), L'Elisir d'amore (1968), and Porgy and Bess (1972).
1968-1976: - Chief Conductor and Music Director of the Leningrad Symphony Orchestra.
1976-1988: - Chief Conductor and Artistic Director of the Kirov Opera and Ballet Theatre. He staged himself and conducted Eugene Onegin (1982) and The Queen of Spades (1984).
He toured many European countries with the Kirov Opera including the first opera tour in the Theatre's history to England, as well as tours to Japan and the USA.
He was the first conductor to play symphonic concerts with the orchestra of the Kirov Theatre.
In 1978, Temirkanov began to work with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra in London. In 1988, Temirkanov was elected to the post of Chief Conductor and Music Director of the St.Petersburg Philharmonic Orchestra.
1992-1997: - Principal Guest Conductor of the Danish Radio Orchestra (Copenhagen).
Since 2000 he has became the Chief Conductor and Music Director of the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra (USA).
He has performed with many great orchestras of the world including: the Philadelphia Orchestra, Berlin Philharmonic, Vienna Philharmonic, Concertgebouw, Cleveland Symphony, Chicago Symphony, New York Philharmonic, San Francisco Symphony and Santa Cecilia.
1996: - He conducted the Gala concert of the U.N. in Rome, to celebrate it's 50^th Anniversary.
1988: - He signed an exclusive recording contract with BMG.
Yuri Temirkanov has recorded extensively with the St.Petersburg Philharmonic Orchestra, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra and New York Philharmonic Orchestra.
In 1990, together with Columbia Artists, a recording was made of the Gala concert in St.Petersburg, for the 150^th anniversary of the birth of Pyotr Tchaikovsky.
He regularly gives master classes at the Curtis Institute (Philadelphia) and also at the Manhattan School of Music (New York) and at the Accademia Chighana (Sienna, Italy).

Awards

1st prize at the 2nd All-Union Conductors Competition in Moscow (1966)
State prize of the Russian Federation, named after M.I.Glinka, for concert programs 1968-1970 (1971)
Honoured artist of Russian Federation (1971)
Honoured artist of Kabardino-Balkaria (1973)
People's artist of Russian Federation (1976)
State prize of the USSR for the production of the opera "Peter the Great" by A.Petrov (1976)
People's artist of USSR (1981)
The Order of Lenin (1983)
State prize of the USSR for the production of "Eugene Onegin" (1985)
Nominations for Grammy Awards for his recordings of "Alexander Nevsky" by S.Prokofiev (1996) and Schostakovich's Symphony No.7 (1998)
Order of Kirill and Mefody (Bulgaria, 1998)
Honorary member of the International Academy of the Sciences, Industry, Education and Art (USA, 1998)
Order "For Merit for the Country" of III degree (1998) State prize of the Russia (1999)
Order of the Science and Culture "Catherine the Great" (2002)
Prize of the President of the Russian Federation (2003)
Honorary doctor of the St.Petersburg University of Humanities and Social Sciences (2003)
Honorary doctor of the St.Petersburg state Conservatoire named after N.A.Rimsky-Korsakov (2003)
Order "For Merit for the Country" of II degree (2003) "Triumph" Prize (2003)