René Koering remembers Evgeny Svetlanov
René Koering, Musical Director of Radio France, remembers Evgeny Svetlanov Interview published with the CD “A Tribute to Evgeny Svetlanov”, Debussy and Scriabin, Naïve V4946 What role did Svetlanov play, not just in Russia, but in the world? How is he perceived today?Svetlanov’s place was finally revealed to the non-Soviet world. Svetlanov’s discovery of the […]
A totally committed artist
On the 60th birthday of the conductor Evgeny Svetlanov Irina Strajenkova, 19 August 1988 “Perestroika” has become the most popular word in the Soviet Union, and one could practically associate it with Evgeny Svetlanov, one of the country’s leading conductors and principal conductor of the USSR State Symphony Orchestra, which has for many years been […]
A Return to the Bolshoi
International Herald Tribune, January, the 5th, 2000 By George W. Loomis Svetlanov Conducts a Dark, Powerful ‘Maid of Pskov’ MOSCOW — The Bolshoi Theater welcomed the conductor Yevgeni Svetlanov back to the fold with a new production of Rimsky-Korsakov’s “The Maid of Pskov,” the opera he led at his debut there in 1955. The event […]
Open letter to the President of the Russian Federation, V. V. Putin
Evgeny Svetlanov, 17.04.2000 Dear Vladimir Vladimirovich, I am aware of your countless daily obligations and the scale of the problems that you are constantly required to solve, yet I address this letter to you, the head of our state. Exceptional circumstances leave me no choice. As a man, musician and citizen, I am asking for […]
Evgeny Svetlanov in His Own Words
Répertoire n°158, June 2002 Repertoire: Your concert and recording experience is immense, and yet there is little talk of you specializing only in Russian music. How do you explain this paradox? Evgeny Svetlanov: I have certainly devoted my whole life to Russian music, but that does not exclude others. I wanted to mark an important […]
The Master of Music
On the 80th Anniversary of Evgeny Svetlanov Cultura, No. 33 (643) Over a long career in journalism, we had the chance to interview many outstanding figures from various professions. We were once even fortunate enough to interview a genius — Evgeny Svetlanov. A sovereign of music and its devoted servant. … The musical season had […]
The Svetlanov Competition Joins the World Federation of International Music Competitions
In September 2025, the Evgeny Svetlanov International Conducting Competition officially became a member of the World Federation of International Music Competitions. This recognition places the Competition alongside some of the most prestigious international contests in the field of classical music. Membership in the Federation ensures the highest standards of transparency, fairness, and artistic excellence, while […]