Moscow Philharmonic Orchestra Orchestras and Tours

The Moscow Philharmonic Orchestra was founded in 1951 by Samuel Samosud, later achieving the status of "academic orchestra" in 1973. An orchestra rich in history, its past conductors and artistic directors include such outstanding musicians as Nathan Rakhlin, Kirill Kondrashin, Dmitry Kitayenko, Vassily Sinaisky and Mark Ermler. In 1998, People's Artist of the USSR, Professor Yuri Simonov became MPO's Music Director and Chief Conductor.

The MPO's long history of success is marked by its relationships with many of the best Soviet conductors as well as outstanding guest conductors such as Lorin Maazel, Charles Munch, Igor Markevitch, Kurt Sanderling, Igor Stravinsky, Zubin Mehta, and Krzysztof Penderecki, to name a few. Similarly, the Orchestra has a long history of featuring famous guest soloists such as Isaac Stern, Yehudi Menuhin, Artur Rubinstein, Glenn Gould, Maurizio Pollini and many others.

Widely praised for their inspired performances, their fine sense of ensemble, and artistic unity, the MPO has performed in over fifty countries. During these extensive tours, the MPO has performed in many of the world's premiere concert halls including; Carnegie Hall and Avery Fisher Hall in New York, Festival and Albert Hall in London, and Musikverein in Vienna. Always on the road, the orchestra's repertoire includes a variety of genres and styles offering a fascinating combination of technical perfection with expressive and artistic presentation. As a regular performer in the most prestigious music festivals in Europe, the MPO has performed in over 5000 concerts and created over 300 recordings.

"The Moscow Philharmonic Orchestra which recently marked its 50th anniversary is building upon Russia's famous symphonic traditions. They play with clockwork precision, their sound alive and richly textured, with singing strings and bright winds,"

-excerpt from a recent USA Tour review