Conductor Yuri Simonov: biography, creativity and interesting facts

Conductor Yuri Simonov, a biography whose work will be presented to your attention below, managed to achieve a lot by his work and perseverance. How was his life? Let's start the story.

Childhood and Youth

Simonov Yuri Ivanovich was born on March 4, 1941 in Saratov, in a musical creative family. Being constantly in the appropriate environment, the boy was seriously interested in the art of conducting in his childhood. His musical education began in violin classes, and already at the age of twelve he showed a desire and for the first time became a conductor for the orchestra of a music school.

In 1956, at the age of fifteen years, the future conductor moved to the city of Leningrad, where he was accepted to the school at the Rimsky-Korsakov Conservatory, and then the study lasted at the educational institution where Simonov was trained directly in conducting.

Yury Simonov took part in the All-Union competition held in the capital in 1966 and confidently wins in it, after which he leads the orchestra of the Kislovodsk Philharmonic. In 1968, the Soviet conductor for the first time in history won the international competition held in Rome.

This draws the attention of the famous conductor EA Marvinsky, who offers a talented young man to become an assistant in the Academic Symphony Orchestra of the Leningrad Philharmonic. In this position, the conductor worked for about a year, after which he began to stage the opera on the stage of the Bolshoi Theater.

Work at the Bolshoi Theater

From that moment his biography changed radically. Yury Simonov in January 1969 first performed at the Bolshoi Theater with the premiere of the opera Aida. Then there were triumphal tours in Paris and the appointment of the chief conductor of the Bolshoi Theater of the Soviet Union. The conductor's tenure lasted fifteen years. During this period, staged the outstanding composers Glinka, Rimsky-Korsakov, Mozart and many others. The theater was constantly developing and improving its activities. Great merit in this belonged to Yuri Simonov.

In 1985, Simonov created the Small State Symphony Orchestra of the Soviet Union, which he directed until 1989. As a result of some conflict situations caused by increased demands on the subordinates, he has to vacate his position. After the collapse of the Union, its activities remain as active as in Russia and abroad.

Creativity Abroad

An outstanding conductor performed not only on domestic scenes, he took an active part in tours around the cities of Europe and America. They were performances with artists of opera and ballet, as well as the Chamber Orchestra created personally by talented young enthusiasts.

In 1975, under his leadership, the opera was staged at the Metropolitan Opera, in 1982, a debut took place at the London Theater. In 1991, Yuri Simonov was invited to conduct in the Philharmonic Orchestra of Buenos Aires. From 1994 to 2002 he successfully leads the National Orchestra of Belgium, from 1995 to 1998 he is the conductor in the opera of Budapest.

Teaching Activities

Along with his creative activity, the conductor transmits his skills and skills to the younger generation. For many years he lectured at the Moscow Tchaikovsky Conservatory, since 1985, already in the rank of professor. Since 2006, he is a teacher at the Conservatory in St. Petersburg. He also constantly organizes advanced master classes for those who wish, both on the territory of the Russian Federation and abroad.

A great merit of Simonov in the formation of creative youth in the walls of the Bolshoi Theater during his years of fruitful activity. He spent a lot of time in the classroom, teaching constantly updated teams of creative skills, putting them at the proper level of skill. It was a painstaking and selfless work, bringing tangible results, contributing to the professional growth of the young generation of talented people.

Important dates

Since 1998, Yuri Simonov - conductor and head of the Academic Symphony Orchestra of the Moscow Philharmonic. Thanks to his unrivaled ability to lead and show strong conductor plastics, to establish trustful contact with listeners, bright theatrical thinking, the collective became the best in the country.

In 2011, a significant event in the cultural life was the 70th anniversary of the famous conductor, marked by concerts in Moscow, Orenburg and abroad. The continuation of the season was a tour to South Korea and a jubilee concert of the orchestra on September 15, 2012.

In the 2015-2016 season the maestro celebrated his jubilee, giving the corresponding number of performances in Moscow and his native Saratov, namely 75. In 2016-2017, the conductor plans to perform in concert halls in Moscow, as well as to tour the cities of Russia - Yaroslavl, Kostroma, Saratov, Nizhny Novgorod - and foreign trips to China, Japan and Switzerland.

Merits and titles

The government tried in every possible way to celebrate the merits of an outstanding conductor. In 1971 he became a deserved artist of the RSFSR, and in 1976 a People's Artist of the RSFSR. In 1981, Simonov was awarded such a high title as "People's Artist of the USSR," emphasizing the nationwide love for the work of the famous conductor.

His work was properly evaluated not only at home, but in many other countries. He was awarded the Officer Cross of Hungary, the Order of the Commander of Romania, the Order of Merit in Culture of the Republic of Poland.

Interesting facts about the life of the composer

In the biography of the conductor there were facts contradicting each other. For example, there was an exception from the Leningrad Conservatory, and then, thanks to merit, Simonov's name was entered in gold letters on the board of honor of this institution.

Unwillingness to be a conductor of the opera in his younger years did not prevent him from becoming the head of the Bolshoi Theater and to serve there for fifteen years, becoming the youngest in this position, spending the most time on the post, making a huge contribution to the development of the theater and all opera.

Conductor Yuri Simonov, whose biography is full of interesting events, in 1998, actively working abroad, in a very difficult period for Russian culture, returned to his homeland and began to work in the Moscow Philharmonic. The invitation came directly from the symphony orchestra and was accepted by Simonov without hesitation, despite the small salary and certain inconveniences.

The conductor, who briefly worked as an assistant in the Leningrad Philharmonic, has been closely cooperating with them for more than forty years, regularly performs at the Bolshoi Philharmonic Hall of St. Petersburg, takes part in the tours of the symphony orchestra.