The State Chamber Orchestra "Moscow Virtuosos" (Orchestra)
In 1979 Vladimir Spivakov, an outstanding virtuoso violinist, with a group of
his friends and artistic associates, mostly winners of international music
competitions, as well as soloists and section leaders of the best Moscow
symphonic and chamber orchestras, founded the “Moscow Virtuosi” Chamber
Orchestra. Thus, the highest performance standard was set up from the very
moment of the orchestra’s establishment, which justified its claim for a rather
ambitious, at first glance, title of “Moscow Virtuosi”.
The years witnessed an arduous, but joyful consolidation of virtuosi
musicians, each being a bright personality, into a world-class, finely-organized
musical ensemble with its own performance style and a huge repertoire comprising
pieces by a large number of composers from Bach to Schnittke. The process is not
completed up to now, but even in the mid 1980s the main performance and artistic
features of the orchestra became evident.
Every year the “Moscow Virtuosi” give over 100 concerts, mostly on tours. The
geography of the tours is very extensive: it includes all regions of Russia, the
former Soviet Union territory (which still remains the common cultural space of
the now desintigrated country both for the orchestra and for the listeners),
European countries, the United States of America, Canada, Turkey, Israel, China,
Japan etc. In all the countries the Virtuosi give their concerts not only in the
best and most prestigious concert halls, such as “Concertgebouw” in Amsterdam,
“Musikverrein” in Vienna, “Royal Festival Hall” and “Albert Hall” in London,
“Pleyel” and “Champs Elysees Theatre” in Paris, “Carnegie Hall” and “Avery
Fisher Hall” in New York, “Santory Hall” in Tokyo, but also in ordinary venues
of small towns.
A really European manner of ensemble performance, concern for tiny details
and nuances, solicitous and creative interpretation of author’s concepts, bright
artistic talent and love both for the pieces performed and for the audience make
the “Moscow Virtuosi” Orchestra so different from many other chamber orchestras.
To excite the audience emotionally and to enthrall every listener, even an
ignorant one, intellectually, to endow him with the pleasure of enjoining music
masterpieces, to evoke the desire to come to chamber music concerts again are
considered by the “Moscow Virtuosi” as the most important goals.
Ever since the chamber orchestra was founded, Vladimir Spivakov, an
outstanding violinist and conductor, benefactor and prominent social figure, has
been its artistic director, conductor and soloist. Thanks to Maestro Spivakov
and the three decades of his activities for the sake of the orchestra, the
“Moscow Virtuosi” is now undoubtedly within the best chamber orchestras of the
world with their own grateful audiences everywhere and is enjoying a high
reputation that has been acquired by years of persistent and hard work.
Since 2003 the “Moscow Virtuosi” Chamber Orchestra is permanently located and
rehearses at the Moscow Performing Arts Centre.
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