Bangkok Symphony Orchestra Foundation under the Royal Highness Crown Prince Maha Vajiralongkorn
And B.GRIMM
Proudly present

B.Grimm Classical Series
“Russian Romantic”

Bangkok Symphony Orchestra
Conductor : Sviatoslav Luther
Piano : Alex Slobodyanik

Official Site : www.bangkoksymphony.org

Sviatoslav Luther has emerged as a leading talent of his generation, enjoying substantial recognition in his native Russia, bringing vivacious energy and welcomed freshness to orchestras as he continues to explore opportunity throughout Western Europe and the United States.

Maestro Luther holds the post of Principal Conductor at the State Symphony Orchestra of St. Petersburg since 1998, and was appointed Principal Guest Conductor of the St. Petersburg Camerata Orchestra in 2002.

Highly dedicated to university-level education, Sviatoslav Luther has served as Professor of Conducting and Choirmaster at the St. Petersburg Academy of Culture and Arts, and also as Artistic Director of the St.Petersburg State University. In 2001, Luther created, developed and now continues to act as Music Director and Conductor of the New Names, the Masterpieces by Johannes Brahms, and the Ludwig van Beethoven Heritage Concerts at the State University; soloists engaged and brought from abroad include pianist Amanda von Goetz, clarinetist Rebecca Doggett, violinist Heather Wittels and pianist Monica Chung.

In 1999, by invitation of Music Director and Maestro Valery Gergiev, Luther earned a conducting spot at the renowned Stars of the White Nights International Music Festival, and since that time, he has also partaken at the Maggio Fiorentino Festival in Florence, Italy (under the guidance of Zubin Metha) and performed at the Palaces of St. Petersburg International Chamber Music Festival (under the direction of Konstantin Orbelyan). In recent and forthcoming seasons, Maestro Luther has been engaged to guest conduct at the National Philharmonic Orchestra of the Republic of Moldova, the Mozarteum Orchestra, the Clark College Orchestra in Vancouver (CA), the Heartland Philharmonic Orchestra, and in September 2004, Luther stepped in for a last minute cancellation to conduct the Morris Festival Orchestra for the 10th Anniversary Gala Concert, Community Theater of Morristown, New Jersey. He received enthusiastic reviews from the major critics, including the Star Ledger and the Classical New Jersey Society Journal.

Born in 1971, Luther began his musical training in 1979 when he entered the Capella Boys Choir, and later continued his studies at the renowned Rimsky-Korsakov Conservatory (St. Petersburg, Russia), completing his Masters Degree in the studio of choral-conductor Nicolai Kornev, symphonic-conductor Ravil Martynov, and Maestro pedagogue Valentin Nesterov. Sviatoslav Luther has emerged as a leading talent of his generation, enjoying substantial recognition in his native Russia, bringing vivacious energy and welcomed freshness to orchestras as he continues to explore opportunity throughout Western Europe and the United States.

Alex Slobodyanik

Alex Slobodyanik began his career at the age of fifteen and soon established himself as one of the leading pianists of his generation. Some of the highlights of the past three seasons include a tour of North America and Great Britain with the Kirov Orchestra under Maestro Valeri Gergiev, highlighted by performances at the Barbican Center in London, New York's Carnegie Hall and the Kennedy Center in Washington, DC; a debut with the Chicago Symphony under Yuri Temirkanov; performances with London's Philharmonia Orchestra in London and Birmingham; Hong Kong Philharmonic subscription concerts and the Netherlands Radio Symphony Orchestra appearances, conducted by Eri Klas at the Amsterdam's Concertgebow. Recitals included a live BBC broadcast from London's Wigmore Hall and “Great Performers” series at the Lincoln Center in New York. His first compact disc has recently been released on EMI Classics to rave reviews.

In 2003 Alex Slobodyanik has been named the BBC Young Generation Artist, which brings an extensive collaboration with the BBC and includes a large number of TV and Radio appearances and recordings over the next two year.

Alex made his New York and Washington, DC recital debuts at the age of 17 and since then appeared with such orchestras as the National Symphony, the Cincinnati Symphony, the Simphonia National de Montevideo, the Berne Symphony Orchestra, Moscow Philharmonic and Cologne Radio Symphony Orchestra. He recently toured South Africa with the National Symphony of Johannesburg and the Cape Town Symphony.

His recital engagements have included appearances at the Lincoln Center, London's Wigmore Hall, the Academy of Music in Philadelphia, the Ambassador Auditorium in Los Angeles, the Moscow Grand Conservatory Hall and at leading venues in Paris, Madrid, Mexico City, Buenos Aires. His nine-city tour of Japan included recitals at Osaka Festival Hall and Suntory Hall in Tokyo. Alex Slobodyanik has participated in many international music festivals including Ravinia, Lockenhaus, Marlboro, Riverbend, the Ivo Pogorelich Festival in Germany, Les Flaneries Musicales d'Ete in Reims, France; Semaines Musicales in Tours, France; and the Gilmore Keyboard Festival in Michigan.

Alex began piano lessons at the age of six with his mother, Natalia. At seven, he entered the Central Music School in Moscow, where he studied with Rene Shereshevskaya. Upon coming to the United States, he resumed his musical studies with Nina Svetlanova and soon moved to Cleveland in 1991 to study formally at the Cleveland Institute of Music with Sergei Babayan. Alex now lives in Los Angeles.