Vladimir Verbitsky

Conductor

A protégé of renowned Chief Conductor of the Leningrad Philharmonic Yevgeny Mravinsky, Vladimir Verbitsky was born in Leningrad (St. Petersburg) graduated its famous Conservatoire, conducts world-wide and has a huge discography of recordings made with numerous orchestras.

Vladimir Verbitsky made his Moscow debut at the invitation of the legendary Russian pianist Emil Gilels, and their musical association continued through numerous concert appearances. In Russia he regularly conducts the major Moscow and St. Petersburg orchestras, as well as continuing his long association with the Voronezh Philharmonic, of which he has been Chief Conductor and Music Director since 1972. Under his baton the Voronezh Philharmonic has improved enormously and was given a title of Academic Orchestra for truly great music making. He has served as Chief Conductor of the Slovak Philharmonic in Bratislava, and has been given the honorable title of People's Artist of Russia.

As Guest Conductor on many international tours of Evgeny Svetlanov's USSR State Symphony Orchestra, Vladimir Verbitsky conducted this mighty orchestra in France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Turkey, Spain, Canada, USA, South America, Japan and Hong Kong.

He was introduced to Australian and New Zealand audiences in 1986, when he achieved a remarkable personal success as Guest Conductor on the USSR State Symphony Orchestra's historic first Australasian tour. At the end of this tour he was invited to be Music Director of the State Orchestra of Victoria in Melbourne.

Vladimir Verbitsky has toured Australia each year since 1987 and regularly conducts all of the major Australian and New Zealand orchestras. This unique collaboration with the West Australian Symphony Orchestra has extended through twelve years, from 1987-1991 as a Guest Conductor and from 1992-1997 as the orchestra's Principal Guest Conductor. He was appointed in 1997 Conductor Laureate. This important honor has been given for life in recognition of his depth of knowledge, artistic vision and wonderful rapport with the orchestra.

Vladimir Verbitsky's recent engagements have included concerts with the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra, St. Petersburg Philharmonic, the Great Radio and Television Orchestra of Moscow and Svetlanov's Orchestra; concerts with the Lucerne Symphony in Switzerland; recordings in Germany with the Baden-Baden Philharmonic, a six-concert Russian Music Festival with the Auckland Philharmonia in New Zealand; frequent concerts with the Florida Orchestra and the Tucson Symphony.

Among soloists he has performed with are Emil Gilels, Vladimir Spivakov, Gidon Kremer, Evelyn Glennie, Oleg Kagan, Natalia Gutman, Viktor Tretyakov, lgor Oistrakh, Evgeny Svetlanov, Paul Badura-Skoda, Frank Peter Zimmermann and André Laplante.

Vladimir Verbitsky's repertoire includes more than two thousand works of classical music as well as numerous contemporary works. His long discography includes recordings with the USSR State Symphony Orchestra,the St. Petersburg Symphony Orchestra, Voronezh Philharmonic, Slovak Philharmonic, SaarbrÃ¼cken Radio Orchestra, Sydney Symphony Orchestra, Melbourne Symphony Orchestra, State Orchestra of Victoria, Queensland Symphony Orchestra, West Australian Symphony Orchestra, Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra and others.