Karelian Philharmonic Orchestra is a cultural heritage of the Republic of Karelia and is the largest orchestra in the Russian North-west.
In the past the orchestra was conducted by Leopold Teplitsky, Konstantin Semenov, Karl Eliasberg, Iurii Aranovich, Vitalii Kataev, Aleksandr Dmitriev, Fedor Glushenko, Edvard Chizhvel Oleg Soldatov, Marius Stravinsky. Orchestra played with such eminent musicians as Sviatoslav Rikhter, Emil Gilels, Nikolai Petrov, Naum Shtarkman, Vladimir Krainev, Mstislav Rostropovich, Igor Oistrakh, Dmitrii Bashkirov, Mikhail Pletnev, Alexei Liubimov, Denis Matsuev, Nikolai Luganskii, Vadim Kholodenko, Vladimir Spivakov, Sergei Stadler, Tatiana Grindenko, Dora Shvartsberg, Aleksandr Rudin, Natalia Shakhovskaia, Iurii Bashmet, Boris Andrianov, Arkadii Shilkloper, Ilia Gringolts and many others.
The orchestra repertoire includes plays that belong to different world music styles and genres. Along with the well-known symphony masterpieces the orchestra often performs the music of the 20th-21st centuries. Not once the orchestra was trusted to play the Russian and world premieres of the contemporary compositions.
Annual season tickets and festivals show the active artistic life of the orchestra, the breadth and diversity of its interests. Symphonic concerts are attended by listeners of all ages. Great attention is paid to working with child audience. In order to attract a new audience Orchestra performs pop and rock music, popular classics, is involved in educational projects.
The orchestra performs in Moscow and Saint-Petersburg, in the Republic of Karelia and other Russian regions. The touring map includes Germany, Poland, France, Spain, Italy and Switzerland. The orchestra has good relations with partners from Finland and other Scandinavian countries.
Anatolii Rybalko, an Honoured artist of Karelia is an art director and a principal conductor of the Karelia Philharmonic Orchestra (since 2013).
He graduated from the St.Petersburg State Conservatory as a choral conductor and opera and symphonic conductor. Anatolii studied from legendary teachers - professors Kudriavtseva and Martynov.
Since 2002 he has been working as a conductor in Saint-Petersburg state children’s musical theatre Zazerkalie. At the same time, he teaches at the Department of Opera and Symphony Conducting of the St. Petersburg State Rimsky-Korsakov Conservatory and the St. Petersburg Rimsky-Korsakov College.
Anatolii Rybalko cooperates with the St.Petersburg Philharmonic Orchestra, the St.Petersburg Symphony Orchestra, the State Hermitage Orchestra and the Mariinsky Theatre Orchestra.
Anatolii Rybalko toured around the cities in Russia, Europe, Japan. He was recorded at Sony Pictures Classics label.
Olga Seliverstova (soprano) - soloist of the Bolshoi Theater. She graduated with honors from the Moscow Conservatory in 2013. In the same year she became the artist of the Youth Opera of the Paris National Opera and made her debut on the stage of Palais Garnier. She performed at the Rive Gauche Musique festivals (Paris), the Sedières Festival and the Argelès-sur-Mer Opéra Festival. The singer is a regular guest soloist of the Harbin Symphony Orchestra (China).
In July 2017 she represented the Bolshoi Theater of Russia at the Savonlinna Opera Festival (conducted by Tugan Sokhiev). In May 2018 she made her debut in the party of Martha (“The Tsar's Bride”) at the Shanghai Grand Theatre (conductor Tugan Sokhiev). In November 2018 she performed this role in a live broadcast of the performance on Mezzo TV channel.
Julia Mazurova (mezzo-soprano) is the soloist of the Bolshoi Theater of Russia, the III Prize laureate of the Galina Vishnevskaya International Opera Singers Competition. A graduate of the St. Petersburg Conservatory and the Youth Opera program of the Bolshoi Theater.
Julia was nominated for the Golden Mask (Russian National Theater Award) for her performance of Cherubino in the Le Nozze di Figaro opera. In 2016 she took part in charity concerts “Hvorostovsky and friends.”
She worked with such conductors as Valery Gergiev, Vladimir Spivakov, Gennady Rozhdestvensky, Tugan Sokhiev, Mikhail Yurovsky and Alexander Vedernikov.
Ilya Selivanov (tenor) - soloist of the Bolshoi Theater of Russia. He graduated from the Rimsky-Korsakov St. Petersburg State Conservatory. In 2012 he became a soloist with the Mariinsky Theater Academy of Young Opera Singers.
The European debut of the singer took place in the Theater Dortmund (Germany) in 2017. Ilya performed the part of Vodemona in the Iolanthe opera by P. Tchaikovsky at Suntory Hall in Tokyo in the framework of the opening of the Cross Years of Russia and Japan.
He has toured in the UK, Italy, Austria, Switzerland, France and Germany. He has performed with such conductors as Ion Marin, Valery Gergiev, Mikhail Pletnev, Mariss Jansons, Gavriel Heine, Nikolaj Znaider, Alexander Titov and Yuri Simonov.
Leonard Schreiber (violin, Belgium) graduated from the Royal College of Music (UK).
Leonard Schreiber tours in Europe, several times performed in Russia and in the countries of South America. His concerts are held in the most prestigious concert halls. He conducts active concert activities as a soloist, but at the same time he finds time for performances in chamber programs.
The musician has performed for the heads of state in various countries of the world, including in front of Prince Charles at Buckingham Palace and Windsor Castle.
Leonard Schreiber plays the violin of the Italian master Alessandro Mezzadri from Ferrara.
Dmitrii Illarionov (guitar) graduated from the Gnesins Russian Academy of Music, finished postgraduate study in the class of the legendary guitarist, Pr. Alexander Frauchi and postgraduate study at Karlsruhe's University of Music (Germany). Currently, Dimitri is an associate professor at the Gnesins RAM.
Dimitrii Illarionov has won many competitions. Yet, among the most prestigious ones are GFA (USA, 2002), XXV Andres Segovia International Guitar Competition (Spain, 2009) and Francisco Tarrega International Guitar competition (Spain, 2008) where he became the first winner from Russia for 42 years of existence of the competition.
The musician is a participant of the leading Russian festivals such as "Crescendo", "Return", "Generation of Stars", "Musical Expedition" and "Vivarte."
Dimitrii Illarionov’s performances are held in Russia and abroad (in Europe, Asia, America), on the stages of the most prestigious halls of the world. The musician collaborates with world leading orchestras and conductors.
Guitarist's partners in chamber music are cellist Boris Andrianov, flutist Patrick Galois, violinists Andrei Baranov, Leonard Schreiber, Sergei Dogadin, Jeanine Jansen and many others.
Dimitrii Illarionov is pleased to participate not only in academic, but also in jazz projects. Another aspect of the guitarist's creativity is the constant search for new formats of academic concerts combined with video art, poetry and theater.