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 (art director and the main conductor) 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.
Olesya Petrova (mezzo-soprano) was born in Saint Petersburg, Russia. She graduated from the St. Petersburg State Rimsky-Korsakov Conservatoire in 2008 (class of Professor Irina Bogacheva).
She is a prize winner at the International Competition of Galina Vishnevskaya (2nd prize, Moscow, 2006) and at the XI International Tchaikovsky Competition (2nd prize, Moscow, 2007). In 2011 she reached the final in Cardiff Singer of the World.
After this successful performance Olesya was invited to Zürich Opera House and Greek National Opera in Athens.
She performed among others at the Bolshoy Theatre, at Outdoor Opera Hedeland, at the Metropolitan Opera in New York, at Deutsche Oper am Rhein, at Greek National Opera in Athens, at Opéra de Montreal, at Teatro Filarmonico di Verona, at Concertgebouw Amsterdam, at Théâtre des Chatelet in Paris and at Teatro Verdi di Trieste.
Since 2016 Petrova has been being a soloist at Mikhailovsky Theatre in Saint-Petersburg.
In the TV-version of Verdi's Luisa Miller, staged in MET in 2018, Olesya Petrova appeared as Federica with such opera stars as: Sonya Yoncheva, Piotr Beczała, Plácido Domingo, Alexander Vinogradov and Dmitry Belosselskiy.
Sergei Semishkur (tenor) was born in Kirov. Graduated from the Nizhny-Novgorod State Glinka Conservatoire in 2003 (faculties of choral conducting and academic vocals).The same year he joined the Mariinsky Academy of Young Singers. Since 2007 he has been a soloist with the Mariinsky Opera Company.
Sergei Semishkur has taken part in various opera festivals around the world including festivals in Savonlinna and Mikkeli (Finland), the Salzburg Festival (Austria), the Edinburgh Festival (Scotland) and the Red Sea Festival in Eilat (Israel).
The singer frequently performs on tour, appearing at the world’s most prestigious concert venues, among them Carnegie Hall in New York, the Kennedy Center in Washington, the Millennium Centre in Cardiff, the Barbican Hall in London, the Royal Opera House in Stockholm, the Opéra Bastille in Paris, the Teatro Real in Madrid and the Deutsche Oper in Berlin.
The singer’s discography includes recordings of the operas Oedipus Rex (Oedipus Rex), The Nose (the Nose) and Das Rheingold (Froh) as well as Berlioz’ Requiem and Mahler’s Eighth Symphony, which was recorded together with the London Symphony Orchestra.
Julia Igonina (violin) was born in Belarus. She has been playing the violin since she was 6. In 1997 Julia became a student at the Moscow State Conservatory, at the People's Artist of the USSR, professor Eduard Grach's class and then continued studying at the assistantship. After that she took part in the international master courses «Keshet Eilon» in Israel, where Julia continued studying at maestro Shlomo Mints.
Since 1999 Julia Igonina is a soloist at the Moscow Philharmonic and often performs as a guest soloist with different orchestras from Russia, Europe and Asia. Julia performed in such halls as Victoria Hall (Geneva), Vatroslav Lisinski Concert Hall (Zagreb), Century Theatre (Pekin), The Israeli Opera House (Tel Aviv), Moscow State Conservatory and St.Petersburg Academic Philharmonia. She took part in festivals in France, Switzerland, Turkey, Slovakia, Serbia, Vietnam and Croatia.
Julia plays the Italian violin, made by Vincenzo Panormo in 1700. The instrument was given by the Russian State Collection of Unique Musical Instruments. The international mass media name Julia as one of the most bright and famous young Russian musicians.
Boris Andrianov (cello) graduated from the Moscow Gnessins’ School of Music, later studying at the Hochschule für Musik Hanns Eisler under the tutelage of David Geringas.
Boris Andrianov has been a prize-winner at the International Tchaikovsky Youth Competition, the International Shostakovich Competition Classica Nova in Hannover (together with Alexei Goribol, 1st prize, 1997), the VI International Mstislav Rostropovich Cello Competition in Paris (1997), the XI International Tchaikovsky Competition (3rd prize and Bronze Medal, 1998), the International Antonio Janigro Competition in Zagreb (1st prize and special awards, 2000) and the International Isang Yun Competition in South Korea (2003).
He performs in The Netherlands, Japan, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, the USA, Slovakia, Italy, France, South Africa, South Korea, India and China among other countries.
In 2003, Delos Records released an album by Boris Andrianov recorded together with leading Russian guitarist Dimitri Illarionov; this recording was in the preliminary list of nominations for a Grammy award. In September 2007 Boris Andrianov’s CD, recorded with pianist Rem Urasin, became Gramophone magazine’s “Choice of the Month” CD.
Boris Andrianov is the Artistic Director of and the inspiration behind the new Star Generation project, which produces and manages concerts by talented young musicians in all cities and regions throughout Russia. For this project, in 2009 Boris Andrianov was awarded the Russian Federation Prize for Culture. In 2008 Moscow hosted the first-ever cello festival in Russia, Vivacello festival the Artistic Director of which is Boris Andrianov.
Interesting fact, that since 2005, Andrianov has played the “Domenico Montagnana” cello from the Russian State Collection of Unique Musical Instruments.