Alexander Vedernikov

Conductor (Russia)
Represented in Scandinavia (Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, Sweden).

In August 2001 Alexander Vedernikov was appointed Music Director and Chief Conductor of the Bolshoi Theatre of Moscow.

In January 2004 Mr. Vedernikov will make his debut at the Carnegie Hall inNew York and Kennedy Center in Washington DC with the Russian National Orchestra during its tour in USA.

Highlights of the 2002-03 and 2003-04 seasons included guest appearances with Russian National Orchestra, Montreal Symphony, Residentie Orchestra of The Hague, Sydney Symphony Orchestra, Nazionalle della RAI Torino, Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra, Danish National Symphony Orchestra/DR, Iceland Symphony Orchestra among others. In September 2003 he conducted the Montreal Symphony Orchestra in concert version of Tchaikovsky’s Eugene Onegin.

Earlier guest performances included Dresden Staatskapelle, Tokyo Philharmonic, BBC Scottish Symphony, Royal Scottish National Orchestra, Philharmonia Orchestra of London, London Philharmonic,St. Petersburg Philharmonic, Russian National Orchestra, Montreal Symphony, Orchestra Nazionale della RAI Torino, Residentie Orchestra of The Hague and the Budapest Festival Orchestra. He is a frequent guest in many leading opera houses including La Scala di Milano, Teatro Regio di Torino, Teatro Comunale di Bologna, La Fenicedi Venezia and Teatro dell’Opera di Roma. His performances included Britten’s War Requiem and Wagner’s Der fliegende Holländer with Teatro G. Verdi in Trieste and Ravel’s Daphnis et Chloë and Stravinsky’s The Rite of Spring with Dresdner Oper. In 1997 he made his debuts both atCovent Garden and Lincoln Center.

With the Moscow Radio Symphony Orchestra (Associate Conductor in 1988-95), Vedernikov conducted many concerts in Russia and toured internationally. He was also a first guest conductor of the Noord Nederlands Orkestr Groningen (Nederland) until june 2003. Since 1995, he has served as Artistic Director and Chief Conductor of the Russian Philharmonia. In July 2002 this orchestra with Alexander Vedernikov made a Grande tour in Japan, which included 20 performances in different Japanese cities inclusive Tokyo and Osaka. Directly after this tour The orchestra was re-invited to make a similar tour in July 2004.

Vedernikov’s 2001-02 productions at the Bolshoi Theatre included Le Damnation de Faust, Adriana Lecouvreurand Khovanshtchina, and the 2002-03 included a new productions of Ruslan and Ludmila by Glinka and Turandot Puccini with Francesca Zambello as stage director.

Vedernikov has recorded for Russian Disc, Agora, ARTS, Triton and Polygram/Universal and recently for PentaTone Classic (a former Philips’ division).

Educated at the Moscow Conservatory, he quickly became established as anoperatic conductor and joined Moscow’s Stanislavsky Music Theatre (1988-90), where his performances included Mozart’s La Finta Giardiniera and Le Nozze di Figaro, Verdi’s La Traviata, Mascagni’s Cavalleria Rusticana, Leoncavallo’s I Pagliacci, Mussorgsky’s Boris Godunov and Tchaikovsky’s Eugene Onegin and Queen of Spades.

Reviews

Alexander Vedernikov this evening unveiled a reborn Bolshoi Opera. The premiere was the Bolshoi’s first staging of Prokofiev’s Fiery Angel – stupendous singing, credible realistic acting, gripping ensemble action, eye-popping sets, dazzling lighting – and above all, committed performances from the Bolshoi Orchestra and Chorus. From standards that would disgrace a provincial Rep, Vedernikov has staged work which is not merely worthy of a national centre of excellence – this is world-calibre work, at long last.

— S&H International Opera Review (April 2004)

“Conductor Alexander Vedernikov seemed to revel in the score’s [The Fiery Angel] flirtations with bombast and kept Prokofiev’s abrasive orchestral textures highly charged, demonstrating the Bolshoi’s improved orchestral standards in the process.”

— MusicalAmerica.com (April 2004)

 "Vedernikov summoned breathtaking agility and tight ensemble from his players…. he guided his troops through a [Shostakovich Fifth Symphony] of crystalline textures, with wind solos sounding in soft pastel tints and focused dynamics."

— The Washington Post (February 2004)

"Vedernikov's superb ear, fluid gestures and attention to detail perfectly combined with the Russian National Orchestra's virtuosity and dedication."

— Novoye Russkoye Slovo (February 2004)

"Alexander Vedernikov... led a bristling evening of Russian works full of sound, fury and even a few sublime moments.

— The Star Ledger (February 2004)

"Alexander Vedernikov is a dynamic, brilliantly gifted conductor. [He] traced the agony and the ecstasy of [Tchaikovsky's Symphony No 5] with an unerring sense of rhythmic energy, dynamic contrast, and lyrical ebb and flow..."

— Music & Vision (January 2004)

"The orchestral playing in the Prokofiev is gorgeous. [The] music in Suite 2 is dance-like, laid back, or mournful, which suits Vedernikov’s style just fine…. The exquisite articulation, perceptive phrasing, flexible long lines, and rhythmic impulse Vedernikov gets from the orchestra make for exceptional musicality."

— American Record Guide (November 2003)

"The disc [Prokofiev's Romeo and Juliet]... is like a guided tour through the work's harmonic intricacies... Conductor Alexander Vedernikov elicits fine detail from the Russian National Orchestra: the low brass are marvelous, and the strings...have a uniform concept for their sound...eminently recommendable."

— Opera News (October 2003)

Vedernikov is clearly a man to watch: he knows exactly how to pace the music and maintain the tension, and to draw every possible shade of color from the orchestra, which is magnificently recorded." 

— "International record reviews" CD, recorded by "Pentatone" with Russian National Orchestra. Prokofiev: Romeo and Julia; Getty: Joan and the Bells (September 2003)

.. A brilliant conductor.. This was a conductor, who will not be forgotten. He leads the orchestra to newer and higher levels... 

— Dag Fluge, "Dagen" 03.06.2003 (closing concert, Bergen International Festival, Bergen, Norway)

The new Music Director of the Bolshoi Theatre... made Radio Symphony Orchestra and the choir to do their best! 

— Soren Kassenbeer, "Berlingske Tidende", 08.03.2003 (Danish Radio Symphony Orchestra, Copenhagen)

...The extremely fine conductor Alexander Vedernikov went through the work (M.Ravel - "Valses Nobles et Sentimentales") and he arouse both magic and power where possible... ...How he (AV) managed to put new life into the too often played piece (P.Duka - "Apprenti Sorcier") you can only compare it to the story from the Bible about Jesus and the dead man on the stretcher. Vedernikov showed that everything is possible". 

— "DV" 25.01. 2003, Iceland National Orchestra, Reykjavik, Iceland 

...Russian conductor, Alexander Vedernikov...unusually was given a deserved curtain call of his own.

— Anna Kisselgoff, The New York Times, 22.7.1997 (Lincoln Centre Festival – at Metropolitan Opera)

 ...At the seasonal opening, Moscow-born Alexander Vedernikov, in his Royal Opera House debut, conducted with a mysteriousness that sometimes made us shudder at its magic...

— Ann Nugent, The Stage, at Covent Garden 3.1.1997

...Despite all difficulties that Prokofiev’s score presents, the orchestra sounded really rich, splendidly conducted by Alexander Vedernikov...

— L’Opinione, Rome 1995 “Romeo & Juliet” at Teatro dell’Opera

...Under Alexander Vedernikov’s baton, the orchestra, though from the pit, gave the performance a new vigour...

— Il Giornale, Milan, at La Scala, 1994

 ...Alexander Vedernikov’s appearance with The Forum Philharmonic Orchestra was a real present to the public. Under him the orchestra had a chance to demonstrate its qualities, especially the ability to penetrate the Russian spirit… His magnificent technique leaves nothing to be desired...

— De Telegraaf, Netherlands 1993