Vasily Petrenko

Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, Principal  Conductor

Vasily Petrenko is the youngest person and the first Russian in the 165-year history of the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic to have been appointed Principal Conductor..

Born in St Petersburg in 1976, he is recognised as one of the exceptional musicians of his generation. Petrenko was still in his teens when he became resident conductor at St Petersburg Opera and Ballet Theatre, and has gone on to work with some of the world’s finest orchestras, earning international acclaim – and top prizes – for his inspirational performances.

His Liverpool debut with the Phil in November 2004, and subsequent appearances in October and December 2005, created huge excitement. “...memorable for the sheer electricity emanating from the podium. Instantly there was a sense of dialogue between conductor and musicians, between one orchestral family and another, between one phrase and the next, to release natural-seeming eloquence from his players.”  The Daily Telegraph

“I’ve got a very broad repertoire,” says Petrenko. “I define classical music as more than 50 years old so you could say that the Beatles is nearly classical music!”

On the Phil’s plans for 2008, he adds: “The Liverpool Phil is a fantastic orchestra. There is a great opportunity in the next two years to celebrate our musical heritage, to commission new music and to invite the world’s great artists and ensembles to work with us. Sir Simon Rattle and Vladimir Ashkenazy we know already will work with us. It’s a very exciting time for the orchestra – the spotlight is on us.”

“Music is an international language, and, for me, a force of positive energy which really can bring joy and excitement to people.”

 

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News, Reviews and Features

27 September 08 - Verdi's Requiem receives acclaim:

'This Liverpool performance has got to be, for its sheer verve and dynamism as well as its spirituality, as good as it can get.'
Liverpool Daily Post - read the full review

12 September 08 - the Season Opening concert with Vasily and the RLPO earns triumphant reviews:

'There was similar tumult in an urgent, dance-like allegro marcato and an adagio both sinister and reflective in turn, before a final allegro brought proceedings to a rip-roaring conclusion.'
Liverpool Echo

'...the centre point of this piece had to be the slow movement, which wrung out every last ounce of emotion before releasing into an ebullient finale which brought the audience - again - to its feet.'
Liverpool Daily Post

'The orchestra's sweat and dedication... paid off in lethally sharp ensemble playing and a triumphant colour range, with no hint of the garish. An incandescent performance.'
The Times - read the full review

'The performance held the listener rapt, from the magisterial opening movement with its curiously balletic musings to the work's brittle, buoyant finale.'
The Independent - read the full review

1 August 08 - the RLPO appears at the BBC Proms with Kenneth Hesketh's Graven Image, Beethoven's Fourth Piano Concerto with Paul Lewis and Rachmaninov's Symphonic Dances.

'The orchestra finally got to let fly in Rachmaninov's Symphonic Dances, which its young Russian chief Vasily Petrenko conducted with fluid, flamboyant gestures and an ear for dynamic extremes.'
The Guardian - read the full review 

'The RLPO were, in every sense, on their toes... As the alto-sax melody of the first dance spread its melancholia to the strings, the emergence of bass clarinet from the pianissimo brought the first glimpse of the composer's demons. And Petrenko even had them dancing to the "Dies irae" in this exciting finale.'
The Independent
 
7 May 08 - Vasily Petrenko appears on the BBC News programme HARDTalk.

Watch the video (Real Player format)

3 March 08 - The premiere of Tavener's Requiem - 'superbly delivered'

15 Feb 08 - Vasily's 'trademark dynamism' conducting the LSO:

The Telegraph review
The Independent review

8 Feb 08 - Vasily talks about his role as part of Liverpool: the Musical

5 Feb 08 - Vasily Petrenko 'The Russian Bombshell' - The Guardian

11 Jan 08 - Vasily conducts with 'daring physicality' - The Guardian

8 Jan 08 - Petrenko scores another success - The Independent

1 Oct 07 - Why Liverpool is Galvanised by the 'Petrenko Effect' - The Telegraph

26 Jun 07 - Letters to the Editor - A new Karajan - Liverpool Daily Post

26 Apr 07 - Principal Conductor Vasily Petrenko comments on why classical music is a force for regeneration - The Independent

12 Feb 07 - The Young Ones - Financial Times - Arts and Weekend section

12 Feb 07 - Petrenko shows that he is a natural Englishman - The Telegraph

5-7 Feb 07 - Read The Telegraph, The Guardian and Liverpool Daily Post reviews for Vasily Petrenko's concert with the RLPO on 3 February 2007, featuring Rachmaninov's The Bells:

The Guardian review
The Telegraph review
Liverpool Daily Post review

Feb 07 - Sean Rafferty interviews on Radio 3's In Tune on Friday 2 February.

Dec 06 - Roger Phillips interviews Vasily Petrenko - BBC Radio Merseyside

29 Oct 06 - Granny only cooked in fat - The Sunday Times - Property section

15-17 Sep 06 - National and local reviews of 14th September 2006 concert