“Sinaisky, whose conducting is precise, sensuous and who has a near perfect technique must have sharpened the senses of the Gewandhaus. This orchestra rarely plays with such boundlessly generosity, with such flexible dynamic range, with such voluptuous use of colour, so rich in detail and with such a grasp of structure. A truly great Shostakovich—moving, truthful and unsettling.” Leipziger Volkszeitung
Vassily Sinaisky’s international career was launched in 1973 when he won the Gold Medal at the prestigious Karajan Competition in Berlin. His early work as Assistant to the legendary Kyril Kondrashin at Moscow Philharmonic, and his study with Ilya Musin at the Leningrad Conservatoire provided him with an incomparable grounding.
Sinaisky was Music Director and Principal Conductor of Moscow Philharmonic from 1991-1996. He has also held the posts of Chief Conductor of the Latvian Symphony and Principal Guest Conductor of the Netherlands Philharmonic Orchestra. He was appointed Music Director and Principal Conductor of the Russian State Orchestra (formerly Svetlanov’s USSR State Symphony Orchestra) a position which he held until 2002. Sinaisky is Chief Guest Conductor of the BBC Philharmonic and is a regular and popular visitor to the BBC Proms each summer. In January 2007 Sinaisky took over as Principal Conductor of the Malmö Symphony Orchestra in Sweden. His appointment forms part of an ambitious new development plan for the orhestra which has already resulted in hugely successful projects both in Sweden and further afield. Most recently Sinaisky and the orchestra gave two acclaimed concerts in the Concertgebouw, Amsterdam while future plans include a tour to the UK.
Recent guest conducting engagements for Sinaisky include returns to the London Philharmonic, Berlin Radio Symphony, City of Birmingham Symphony and St Petersburg Philharmonic, as well as debuts with the Russian National Orchestra, Rotterdam Philharmonic, St Louis Symphony and Royal Philharmonic. In spring 2006 Sinaisky spearheaded the ‘Shostakovich and his Heroes’ festival in Manchester conducting five concerts over the course of January and February. The Telegraph commented that "The Shostakovich centenary year will be very remarkable indeed if it produces another performance of the 4th Symphony to match Saturday night's viscerally penetrating one by the BBC Philharmonic under Vassily Sinaisky. Taut, tense and terrifying..."
Sinaisky has a distinguished pedigree as an operatic conductor. Most recently he conducted Boris Godunov at San Francisco Opera with Samuel Ramey in the title role. Other recent projects included performances of Tchaikovsky’s Iolanta with Welsh National Opera, including one at the BBC Proms, and productions of Carmen and Der Rosenkavalier for English National Opera. Sinaisky’s conducting of a new production of Shostakovich’s Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk at the Komische Oper Berlin also received unanimous critical acclaim in the international press.
Future recording plans for Sinaisky include a set of the complete symphonies of Franz Schmidt for Naxos with the Malmö Symphony Orchestra. Sinaisky has also made several recordings with the BBC Philharmonic Orchestra for Chandos including works by Szymanowski, Shchedrin, Balakirev and Schreker, as well as a series of Shostakovich’s film music.
Vassily Sinaisky is represented by Intermusica.
November 2008
