Karelia 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.
Marius Stravinsky graduated from the Eton College and the Royal Academy of Music in London.
In 2007-2012 Marius Stravinsky led the Symphony Orchestra of the Karelian State Philharmonic. He was one of the youngest chief conductors of the orchestra. After that he was invited by Vladimir Yurovsky to the position of conductor-assistant of the London Philharmonic Orchestra.
Since 2013, Marius Stravinsky has worked with orchestras from the UK, Germany and Japan. Among them are the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra (London), the Berlin State Opera and the German Opera orchestra. Conductor’s performances are highly appreciated by the foreign press.
The main events of the 2018/2019 season include opera and ballet performances in Berlin, a debut with the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra, concerts with the London Philharmonic Orchestra and a Japanese tour with the Svetlanov State Orchestra. Each season the maestro traditionally conducts the Symphony Orchestra of the Karelian State Philharmonic.
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