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.
Aleksei Niaga (conductor) — laureate of international competitions. He works as a conductor of the Karelia Philharmonic Orchestra (since 2014) and as a conductor of the Samara Academic Opera and Ballet Theatre (since 2017).
Aleksei graduated from the St.Petersburg State Conservatory as a choral conductor and opera and symphonic conductor (Kudriavtseva and Titov classes).
He cooperates with St. Petersburg Philharmonic Orchestra, St. Petersburg State Capella Orchestra, State Hermitage Orchestra, St. Petersburg Symphony Orchestra. Also, he works with the Musical Theatre of the Republic of Karelia. His repertoire includes not only classical music but also the music by contemporary authors and the music from movies.