State Symphony Orchestra of the Republic of Tatarstan

The idea of ​​creating a symphony orchestra in Tatarstan belonged to the chairman of the Union of Composers of Tatarstan , the rector of the Kazan State Conservatory Nazib Zhiganov . They spoke about the need for an orchestra in the TASSR since the 1950s, but it was almost impossible to get a large creative team for an autonomous republic. Nevertheless, in 1966, the Decree of the Council of Ministers of the RSFSR was issued on the creation of the Tatar Symphony Orchestra and, importantly, the Government of the RSFSR took over its content. On the initiative of Zhiganov and the First Secretary of the Tatar Regional Committee of the CPSU Tabeyev, conductor Nathan Rakhlin was invited to Kazan.

April 10, 1967 on the stage of the Tatar Opera and Ballet Theater the first concert of the Symphony Orchestra of the State Philharmonic of the TASSR named after G. Tukai conducted by Nathan Rakhlin. The music of Bach, Shostakovich and Prokofiev sounded.

Soon a concert hall was built, nicknamed in Kazan “glass”, which became the main concert and rehearsal site for the new orchestra. The first 13 years became one of the most striking in the history of the orchestra: the band successfully appeared in Moscow, traveled with concerts to almost all major cities of the USSR, while in Tataria its popularity knew no bounds.

The repertoire of the orchestra, in addition to the standard, includes numerous works by Tatar composers - from Salikh Saidashev and Nazib Zhiganov to Rashid Kalimullin and Shamil Timerbulatov .

With the arrival of the representative of the St. Petersburg conducting school, Alexander Sladkovsky, a new stage in the development of the orchestra began - the stage of large-scale ambitious projects and truly world-wide recognition. And the branded piece of the orchestra, which he performs under an ovation, was the overture “Stan Tamerlane” from the opera “The Legend of the City of Yelts, Virgin Mary and Tamerlane” by Alexander Tchaikovsky ^[3] .

The orchestra has earned the fame of one of the most dynamically developing groups in Russia.

He gives subscription concerts in the Great Hall of the Moscow Philharmonic, the Great Hall of the Moscow Conservatory, the concert hall of the Mariinsky Theater.

In 2016, as part of the European tour, he successfully performed at the main concert venues in Austria - Brucknerhaus (Linz) and the Golden Hall of the Muzikferain (Vienna) ^[4] .

Over the years, outstanding conductors Veronika Dudarova , Eduard Serov , Arnold Katz , Vladimir Ziva worked with the orchestra.

Among the soloists who performed with the orchestra are Viktor Tretyakov , Mstislav Rostropovich , Gidon Kremer , Vadim Repin , Vladimir Spivakov, Denis Matsuev, Yuri Bashmet, Igor Butman, Vladimir Krainev, Mikhail Pletnev.

In different years, world-famous performers performed with the orchestra, among them G. Vishnevskaya, I. Arkhipova, O. Borodin, L. Kazarnovskaya, H. Gerzmava, Sumi Cho, S. Kermes, A. Shagimuratova, T. Serzhan, A. Bonitatibus, D. Aliyev, P. Domingo, R. Alanya, Z. Sotkilava, D. Hvorostovsky, V. Gerello, I. Abdrazakov.

The orchestra performed in large-scale productions with the A. A. Yurlov State Academic Choir of Russia, the A. V. Sveshnikov State Academic Russian Choir, the Academic Large Choir “Masters of Choral Singing” under the direction of Lev Kontorovich, choral groups led by G. Ernesaks, V. Minin, Chapel of them. M.I. Glinka.

The first of the Rakhlin Seasons festivals organized by the orchestra was dedicated to its founder Nathan Rakhlin.

This festival was followed by others - “White Lilac”, “Kazan Autumn”, “Concordia”, “Creative Opening”.

The orchestra accompanies a gala concert of opera stars of the Kazan Autumn International Opera Festival with free access to thousands of spectators on Palace Square near the walls of the Kazan Kremlin and the embankment of the Kazan River .

With the advent of Alexander Sladkovsky’s orchestra, the collective entered the international arena: participated in the Wörthersee Classic (Klagenfurt, Austria), Artissimo ^[3] and Baltic Music Seasons International Music Festival (Jurmala, Latvia).

The festival "Denis Matsuev among friends", organized by Sladkovsky, is recognized as one of the most striking and noticeable events in the cultural life of Tatarstan and Russia. Concerts of the first festival "Denis Matsuev among friends" were shown on Medici.tv.

In 2012, the collaboration of the orchestra conducted by Alexander Sladkovsky with the record companies Sony Music and RCA Red Seal began, where the anthology of music by composers of Tatarstan was recorded.

Then the album "Enlightenment" was prepared with the symphony "Manfred" by P. I. Tchaikovsky and the mystical symphonic poem by S. V. Rachmaninov "Island of the Dead." The disc was also released by Sony Music and RCA Red Seal.

Since 2013, the orchestra has signed a contract with Sony Music Entertainment Russia.

• 1966 - 1979 - Nathan Rakhlin
• 1979 - 1985 - Renat Salavatov
• 1985 - 1989 - Sergey Kalagin
• 1989 - 2010 - Fuat Mansurov
• 2010 - present vr. - Alexander Sladkovsky ^[5]