In 1802, a group of music-loving Russian aristocrats founded Europe’s first philharmonic society in the city.
On 19th October 1917, during the Great October Revolution, the orchestra was changed by decree into a state orchestra and gave its first public concert in the Soviet Union on 8th November. A year later the orchestra was incorporated into the newly founded Petrograd Philharmonic, which became the first major musical organization in the USSR.

In October 1920, the People’s Commissar of Education, Anatoly Lunacharsky, himself a lover of classical music, issued the following decree: «I declare the Petrograd State Philharmonic Orchestra to be the only symphonic institution of the republic and as such a model and exemplary body. Any infringement leading to the disorganization of the activities of the orchestra or any other attempts to destroy it are hereby decreed a felony. The State Philharmonic Orchestra of Petrograd must remain an inviolable Institution of national importance.»

In the following years, the orchestra’s repertoire was developed and expanded by its administrative directors, Ossovskaya and Sollertinsky, who introduced performances of the Beethoven, Mahler and Bruckner symphonic cycles. Mravinsky took over as music director in 1938 and continued in this position for almost 50 years. There was a great artistic friendship between Mravinsky and Shostakovich, and Mravinsky became the first and the most renowned interpreter of Shostakovich’s works. The orchestra frequently gave premiere performances of his works which now take a special place in the orchestra’s repertoire. After Mravinsky’s death in 1988 Yuri Temirkanov was appointed Music Director and Principal Conductor of the Orchestra.
The St.Petersburg Philharmonic was the first Soviet orchestra to tour abroad. After the war, the orchestra toured over 25 countries in Europe, Asia, and America conducted by Stokowski, Munch, Cluyens, Markevitch, Kosef Krips, Kodaly and Britten. In addition to its regular concert series at the renowned philharmonic Hall in St.Petersburg, the Orchestra now regularly tours Europe, Japan and the USA. In 1991, shortly after the renaming of the city, the Orchestra changed its name from the Leningrad Philharmonic the St.Petersburg Philharmonic.

During the past ten years the orchestra has completed substantial tours throughout Germany, Switzerland, Austria, Spain, Italy, the UK, the USA, South America, the Far East and Japan, and appeared at major summer festivals including Lucerne, Salzburg, Edinburgh and the BBS Proms.
The orchestra can be heard with Yuri Temirkanov conducting on BMG Classics and Warner, with Mariss Jansons on EMI an With Vladimir Ashkenasy on Decca.

International recognition: press reviews about tours of the St.Petersburg Philharmonic Orchestra worldwide

ORCHESTRA STRUCTURE

Maestro Yuri TEMIRKANOV Artistic director and Chief conductor

Nikolai ALEXEEV Conductor

First violins Laureate of All-Russian competitions, Holder of All-Union competitions diploma, Honoured artist of Russia Lev Klytchkov Pavel Popov Alexander Zolotarev Yuri Uschapovsky Valentin Lukin Sergei Teterin Holder of All-Russian competitions diploma Olga Rybaltchenko Natalia Sokolova Alexei Vasiliev Alexander Rikhter Mikhail Alexeev Laureate of International competition Vadim Selitsky Grigori Sedukh Nikolai Tkachenko Tatiana Makarova Renata Bakhrakh Lia Melik-Muradian Konstantin Rassokhin Ruslan Kozlov			Second violins Honoured artist of Russia Mikhail Estrin Arkadi Naiman Tatiana Shmeleva Arkadi Malein Ludmila Odintsova Joanna Proskurova Lubov Khatina Anatoli Babitsky Nikolai Dygodiuk Dmitri Koriavko Holder of All-Russian competition diploma Tamara Tomskaya Olga Kotliarevskaya Konstantin Basok Aexander Bulov I.Zolotarev
Bass Clarinet Vladislav Verkovich			Contrabassoon Alexei Silutin
Trumpets Honoured artist of Russia Igor Sharapov Honoured artist of Russia Mikhail Romanov Oleg Grechnev Alexei Belyaev			Bassoons Honoured artist of Russia Oleg Talypin Holder of International competition diploma Sergei Bazhenov Mikhail Karpinskyl
Trombones Laureate of All-Russian and International competitions, Honoured artist of Russia Maxim Ignatiev Laureate of the International competition Dmitri Andreev Laureate of All-Russian and International competitions Vitali Gorlitsky Denis Nesterov			Horns People‘s artist of Russia, Laureate of International competition Andrei Glukhov Laureate of International competition Igor Karzov Anatoli Surzhok Laureate of International competition Anatoli Musarov Vitali Musarov Nikolai Dubrovin
Cellos Honoured artist of Russia Sergei Slovachevsky Honoured artist of Russia Nikolai Gerunyan Valeri Naidenov Honoured artist of Russia Sergei Chernyadiev Taras Trepel Laureate of All-Russian competition, Honoured artist of Russia Iosif Levinzon Viktor Ivanov Holder of International competition diploma Yaroslav Cherenkov Kyrill Arkhipov Nikolai Matveev Alexander Kulibabin			Violas Honoured artist of Russia Andrei Dogadin Yuri Dmitriev Vladimir Ivanov Artur Kosinov Yuri Anikeev Laureate of International competition Alexei Bogorad Laureate of International competition Garik Meerovitch Elena Panfilova Dmitri Kosolapov Konstantin Bytchkov Roman Ivanov Mikhail Anikeev Alexei Koptev
Flutes Laureate of International competition, Honoured artist of Russia Marina Vorozhtsova Igor Kotov Olga Viland Laureate of International competition Olesya Tertichnaya			Timpani and Percussion Honoured artist of Russia Sergei Antoshkin Valeri Znamensky Laureate of the All-Russian competition Dmitri Klemenok Konstantin Soloviev Ruben Ramazyan Honoured artist of Russia Alexander Mikhailov
English Horn Mikhail Dimsky			Tuba Valentin Avvakumov
Oboes Ruslan Khokholkov Artem Isaev Pavel Serebryakov			Harps Laureate of International competition Anna Makarova Andris Izmailov
Clarinets Laureate of the International competition Andrei Laukhin Honoured artist of Russia Valentin Karlov Denis Sukhov Igor Gerasimov			Basses Artem Chirkov Laureate of All-Union competition, Honoured artist of Russia Alexander Schilo Laureate of All-Union competition Rostislav Yakovlev Oleg Kyrillov Mikhail Glazachev Nikolai Chausov Alexei Ivanov Alexei Chubachin Nikolai Siray Arseni Petrov
Piano and celesta Maxim Pankov			Librarian Leonid Voronov
Chief administrator Mikhail Kunyavsky			Director Laureate of the international competitions Ilia Teplyakov