Celebrating the Anniversary of the “Virtuosos of Moscow”. Conductor — Vladimir Spivakov

On February 9, the Grand Hall of the Moscow Conservatory hosted an anniversary concert by one of Russia’s most renowned ensembles — the Moscow Virtuosi State Chamber Orchestra, led by Artistic Director Vladimir Spivakov.

Celebrating its 45th anniversary, the legendary orchestra presented a programme featuring chamber masterpieces by Sergei Rachmaninoff and Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky.

Taking the conductor’s podium was the orchestra’s founder, outstanding violin virtuoso and maestro Vladimir Spivakov, who himself had recently celebrated a milestone birthday.

For Vladimir Spivakov, People’s Artist of the USSR, UNESCO Artist for Peace, and a full recipient of the Order “For Merit to the Fatherland,” this was one of his rare appearances on the legendary stage of the Moscow Conservatory, making the evening particularly solemn and memorable for both the audience and the musicians themselves.

One of the world’s most celebrated violinists and conductors, Vladimir Spivakov has expressed his multifaceted talent through musical artistry as well as through a wide range of public and cultural activities.

As a violinist, he received an outstanding education from the renowned teacher and Moscow Conservatory professor Yuri Yankelevich. The legendary 20th-century violinist David Oistrakh also had a profound influence on his artistic development.

During the 1960s and 1970s, Spivakov became a laureate of prestigious international competitions, including the Marguerite Long–Jacques Thibaud Competition in Paris, the Niccolò Paganini Competition in Genoa, the Montreal International Music Competition, and the Tchaikovsky Competition in Moscow.

In 1975, following a series of triumphant solo performances in the United States, Spivakov embarked on a brilliant international career.

In 1979, together with a group of like-minded musicians, he founded the Moscow Virtuosi chamber orchestra and became its permanent Artistic Director, conductor, and soloist.

He studied conducting under Professor Israel Gusman in Russia and took lessons from Leonard Bernstein and Lorin Maazel in the United States. As a gesture of friendship and faith in Spivakov’s future, Bernstein presented him with his own conductor’s baton — a treasured baton that Maestro Spivakov continues to use to this day.

The Moscow Virtuosi are regarded as one of the world’s finest chamber orchestras. Today, the ensemble has conquered virtually every corner of the international cultural landscape, performing to great acclaim throughout Europe, the United States, Canada, Mexico, South America, Israel, China, South Korea, Japan, and many other countries.

Its extensive touring geography also encompasses every region of Russia and the CIS countries.

The orchestra’s discography includes numerous releases, including recordings issued by such prestigious labels as BMG Classics and RCA Red Seal, reflecting the extraordinary breadth of its repertoire — from Bach and Mozart to Shostakovich, Prokofiev, Bartók, Piazzolla, Penderecki, Shchedrin, Schnittke, Gubaidulina, Pärt, and Kancheli.

Music performed by the Moscow Virtuosi is also available on all major streaming platforms.

What distinguishes the Moscow Virtuosi from many other ensembles is above all their truly European tradition of ensemble playing, meticulous attention to the smallest details and nuances, respect for musical traditions, and a careful yet dynamic approach to the composer’s original vision.

Their performances are characterized by remarkable artistry and a genuine love for their audiences. At every concert, the Moscow Virtuosi achieve what matters most: they have the power to move audiences emotionally and engage them intellectually, even when they are new to classical music, offering the joy of discovering musical masterpieces and inspiring listeners to return for another concert.

As Maestro Vladimir Spivakov himself puts it: “For us, creativity has become a necessity, while work has become an art which, in Pablo Picasso’s words, ‘washes the dust of everyday life from the soul.’”