Dvořák's Prague with Russian artists
The second performance of the Prague Radio Symphony Orchestra at the Dvořák's Prague Festival took place on Tuesday 2nd September. They played works by Tchaikovsky (Slavonic March op.. 31, Concerto for Violin and Orchestra in D major op.. 35) and Shostakovich (Symphony No. 6 in B minor op.. 54). This was conducted by Alexander Vedernikov, with violinist Mikhail Ovrutsky as soloist.
Alexander Vedernikov has worked since 2001 as the Musical Director and Chief Conductor of the Bolshoi Theatre in Moscow. Among other things he has led his company in a series of performances at the Royal Op.era House in Covent Garden in London and on an extensive tour of Germany. Vedernikov himself has guested at a number of Italian op.era houses, of these let us name La Scala in Milan, La Fenice in Venice and the Teatro dell'Op.era in Rome. Vedernikov made his debut at the Bastille Op.era in Paris three years ago, when he conducted a new production of Boris Godunov. - Naturally the conductor also devotes time to symphonic works. He has a particularly close coop.eration with the Moscow Radio Symphony orchestra.
Born in Moscow, 28 year old Mikhail Ovrutsky began playing violin as a 5 year-old at a specially school for musically gifted children. He continued at the Julliard School in New York, at the Curtis Institute and at the Music University of Cologne. - He holds first prizes from prestigious international competitions such as the Pablo Sarasate in Pamplona, the Tchaikovsky competition in Moscow and the Queen Elizabeth competition in Brussels. He has performed with the world's leading ensembles, including the London Symphony Orchestra and the Marinsky Theatre Orchestra under the baton of Valery Gergiyev. In addition to his solo work Mikhail Ovrutsky is active as leader of the Beethoven Orchestra in Bonn.