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Semyon Bychkov
Since leaving St Petersburg in 1975, Semyon Bychkov www.SemyonBychkov.com has enjoyed a career taking him across the globe conducting some of the greatest orchestras in the United States, Europe, the Far East and the former Soviet Union. Since his appointment as Chief Conductor of WDR Sinfonie-Orchester Köln in 1997, Bychkov has maintained a full concert schedule in Cologne while increasing the orchestra’s touring commitments considerably – touring to North and South America, the Far East, as well extensively in Europe – in addition to building an impressive archive of recordings and broadcasts.
Recognised for re-creating familiar music in compelling new ways, Bychkov’s performances stand out for the clarity of his interpretation and the translucency of his sound, communicated through a technique that is both elegant and eloquent. He is a frequent guest with the world’s best-known orchestras including those of New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, Vienna, Berlin, Munich and London; where he is also regularly invited to conduct opera. Recent and future productions include Don Carlo, Lohengrin, Tannhäuser, Elektra, Boris Godunov and La Bohème in London; Un Ballo in Maschera and Tristan und Isolde in Paris (and on tour in Japan); Boris Godunov and Otello in New York; Lohengrin, Tristan und Isolde, Otello, Elektra and Daphne in Vienna; Elektra and Die Frau ohne Schatten in Milan; and Der Rosenkavalier at the Salzburg Festival.
An admired and prolific recording artist, Bychkov’s discography features over 30 CDs and DVDs and he continues to record extensively with WDR Sinfonie-Orchester Köln – recent releases include Verdi Requiem, Rachmaninov The Bells Op.35 and Symphonic Dances Op. 45 (Profil, Edition Günter Hänssler, also released on DVD (Arthaus Musik) coupled with Rachmaninov Symphony No 2) and Shostakovich No 4, No10 and No 11 on Avie, as well as two recordings of Strauss operas - Daphne and Elektra - for Decca Records and Profil, Edition Günter Hänssler respectively. His recording of Shostakovich Symphony No 5 (for Philips Classics) with the Berlin Philharmonic was the winner of the Belgian Caecilia Award and Stereo Review’s ‘Record of the Year’ and his recording of Eugene Onegin (with Orchestre de Paris) was selected by Opera as one of the thirty all-time great opera recordings.
A pupil of the legendary Russian pedagogue Ilya Musin, Bychkov came to international prominence in the mid-eighties following a series of high-profile cancellations. Following his relationship with the Buffalo Philharmonic (first as Principal Guest Conductor and later as Music Director 1980-1989), concerts with the Concertgebouw, New York Philharmonic and Berlin Philharmonic orchestras, led to an exclusive recording contract with Philips Classics. Bychkov has since held the positions of Music Director of the Orchestre de Paris (1989-98), Principal Guest Conductor of the St Petersburg Philharmonic (1990-94), Principal Guest Conductor of Maggio Musicale in Florence (1992-98); Chief Conductor of the Dresden Semperoper (1998-2003); and, most recently Chief Conductor of WDR Sinfonie-Orchester Köln (1997-2010).
