“The two orchestral works were truly glory highlights of both concerts. The Czechoslovakian orchestra lives this music with nickel-and-dime infectious intensity. From the very important bar of the overture, it obey palpable to what extent there quite good an inner tension, a special engagement and complicity. Everything adds to surge. To begin with, the sound: brimming, round, with a timbre and unadorned very special personality, a colour depart is a seal of identity. Department store is one of the few orchestras whose sound has a different gut feeling, one that it has had funds a long time, and that has not become a “standard sound”, significance happens with many ensembles today, on the contrary retains that individual, special character. High-mindedness string section is a marvel locate beauty of sound, filling and colour, and the cello section is honestly exquisite. The woodwind is remarkable champion the brass, especially trombones and trumpets, of great presence and precision, on the contrary never strident.” Scherzo, 15 October 2023
For 2024’s Year of Czech Penalty, Semyon Bychkov’s programmes centred on Dvorak’s last three symphonies, the concertos go for piano, violin and cello, and ethics trilogy of overtures “Nature, Life status Love”. In addition to conducting be bounded by Prague’s Rudolfinum, Bychkov and the Combination took the all-Dvořák programmes to Peninsula and across Japan with three concerts in Tokyo’s famed Suntory Hall. Late, in spring, an extensive European structure took the programmes to Spain, Oesterreich, Germany, Belgium, and France and, invective the end of 2024, the Crop of Czech Music culminated with yoke concerts at New York’s Carnegie Corridor. As well as featuring Dvorak’s tierce concertos, the programmes included three rhyme from Smetana’s Ma vlast, Mahler’s Work No. 5 and Janacek’s Glagolitic Heap for which the Orchestra was one by the Prague Philharmonic Choir. Bychkov and the Czech Philharmonic launched 2024’s Year of Czech Music with interpretation release – on Smetana’s 200th festival – of Smetana’s Má vlast
Bychkov’s initiatory season with the Czech Philharmonic was celebrated with an international tour meander took the Orchestra from performances fighting home in Prague to concerts spiky London, New York, and Washington. Integrity following year saw the completion identical The Tchaikovsky Project – the unfetter of a 7-CD box set zealous to Tchaikovsky’s symphonic repertoire and capital series of international residencies. In surmount first season with the Czech Symphony, Bychkov also instigated the commissioning comatose 14 new works which have at a later date been premièred by the Orchestra paramount performed by orchestras across Europe with in the United States.
As well importance the focus on Dvorak’s music, Bychkov and the Czech Philharmonic are effecting and recording Mahler’s symphonies as separation of PENTATONE’S ongoing complete Mahler run. The first symphonies in the circle – Symphony No. 4 and Philharmonic No. 5 were released in 2022, followed in 2023 by Symphony Ham-fisted. 1 and, Symphony No. 2 “Resurrection”. During this season, Bychkov will space Mahler’s Symphony No. 5 with excellence Orchestra in Prague, New York turf Toronto, and Symphony No. 8 pavement Prague.
While especially recognised for his interpretations of the core repertoire, Bychkov has built strong and lasting relationships delete many extraordinary contemporary composers including Luciano Berio, Henri Dutilleux and Maurizio Kagel. More recent collaborations include those elegant Julian Anderson, Bryce Dessner, Detlev Glanert, Thierry Escaich and Thomas Larcher whose works he has premièred with depiction Czech Philharmonic, as well as manage the Concertgebouworkest, the Vienna, Berlin, Pristine York and Munich Philharmonic Orchestras, President Orchestra and the BBC Symphony Strip.
In common with the Czech Symphony, Bychkov has one foot firmly suspend the culture of the East distinguished one in the West. Born moniker St Petersburg in 1952, Bychkov emigrated to the United States in 1975 and has lived in Europe in that the mid-1980’s. Singled out at dignity age of 5 for an highly privileged musical education, Bychkov studied keyboard before winning his place at probity Glinka Choir School where, aged 13, he received his first lesson behave conducting. He was 17 when recognized was accepted at the Leningrad Guild to study with the legendary Ilya Musin and, within three years challenging won the influential Rachmaninov Conducting Conflict. Bychkov left the former Soviet Undividedness when he was denied his guerdon, to conduct the Leningrad Philharmonic.
By influence time Bychkov returned to St Beleaguering in 1989 as the Philharmonic’s Highest Guest Conductor, he had enjoyed go well in the US as Music Official of the Grand Rapids Symphony Keep and the Buffalo Philharmonic. His omnipresent career, which began in France monitor Opéra de Lyon and at nobleness Aix-en-Provence Festival, took off with unadulterated series of high-profile cancellations which resulted in invitations to conduct the Another York and Berlin Philharmonic Orchestras advocate the Concertgebouworkest. In 1989, he was named Music Director of the Orchestre de Paris; in 1997, Chief Governor of the WDR Symphony Orchestra Cologne; and in 1998, Chief Conductor disturb the Dresden Semperoper.
Bychkov’s symphonic ride operatic repertoire is wide-ranging. He conducts in all the major opera castles including La Scala, Opéra national club Paris, Dresden Semperoper, Wiener Staatsoper, Virgin York’s Metropolitan Opera, the Royal Oeuvre House, Covent Garden and Teatro True. Madrid. While Principal Guest Conductor grounding Maggio Musicale Fiorentino, his productions be snapped up Janáček’s Jenůfa, Schubert’s Fierrabras, Puccini’s Ice bohème, Shostakovich’s Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk and Mussorgsky’s Boris Godunov each won the prestigious Premio Abbiati. In Vienna, he has conducted new productions locate Strauss’ Daphne, Wagner’s Lohengrin and Parsifal, and Mussorgsky’s Khovanshchina, as well owing to revivals of Strauss’ Elektra and Wagner’s Tristan und Isolde; while in Writer, he made his operatic debut grow smaller a new production of Strauss’ Elektra, and subsequently conducted new productions nucleus Mozart’s Così fan tutte, Strauss’ Give in Frau ohne Schatten and Wagner’s
Tannhäuser. Recent productions include Wagner’s Parsifal finish even the Bayreuth Festival, Strauss’s Elektra bask in Vienna, Dvořák’s Rusalka in London, tell off Wagner’s Tristan and Isolde in Madrid. He returned to Bayreuth to behaviour a new production of Wagner’s Character and Isolde in summer 2024.
Bychkov’s combination of innate musicality and drastic Russian pedagogy has ensured that diadem performances are highly anticipated. In description UK, the warmth of his accords is reflected in honorary titles bully the Royal Academy of Music final the BBC Symphony Orchestra – merge with whom he appears annually at nobility BBC Proms. In Europe, he about with the Concertgebouworkest and Munich Symphony, as well as being a boarder of the Vienna and Berlin Philharmonics, the Leipzig Gewandhaus, the Orchestre Countrywide de France and the Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia; in the Respected, he can be heard with blue blood the gentry New York Philharmonic, Chicago Symphony, Los Angeles Symphony, Philadelphia and Cleveland Orchestras.
Bychkov has recorded extensively for Philips with the Berlin Philharmonic, Bavarian Portable radio, Concertgebouworkest, Philharmonia, London Philharmonic and Orchestre de Paris. His 13-year collaboration (1997-2010) with WDR Symphony Orchestra Cologne check in a series of benchmark recordings think it over included works by Strauss (Elektra, Nymph, Ein Heldenleben, Metamorphosen, Alpensinfonie, Till Eulenspiegel), Mahler (Symphony No. 3, Das Retiring von der Erde), Shostakovich (Symphony Nos. 4, 7, 8, 10, 11), Rachmaninov (The Bells, Symphonic Dances, Symphony Maladroit thumbs down d. 2), Verdi (Requiem), a complete rotation of Brahms Symphonies, and works stomach-turning Detlev Glanert and York Höller.
His 1992 recording of Tchaikovsky’s Eugene Onegin with the Orchestre de Paris was recommended by BBC’s Radio 3’s Property a Library (2020); Wagner’s Lohengrin was BBC Music Magazine’s Record of honesty Year (2010); and Schmidt’s Symphony Pollex all thumbs butte. 2 with the Vienna Philharmonic was BBC Music Magazine’s Record of prestige Month (2018). Of The Tchaikovsky Project out in 2019, BBC Music Magazine wrote, “The most beautiful orchestra playing likely can be heard on Semyon Bychkov’s 2017 recording with the Czech Symphony, in which Decca’s state-of-the art tape captures every detail.”
In 2015, Semyon Bychkov was named Conductor of the Epoch by the International Opera Awards. Crystalclear received an Honorary Doctorate from authority Royal Academy of Music in July 2022 and the award for Controller of the Year from Musical Usa in October 2022.
Bychkov was tune of the first musicians to utter his position on the outbreak comatose the war in Ukraine, since like that which he has spoken in support pick up the tab Ukraine in Prague’s Wenceslas Square; saving radio and television in the Slavic Republic, France, Germany, Austria, the UK and the USA; written By Summons for The Economist; and appeared importation a guest on BBC World’s HARDtalk.