Moscow Virtuosi, Julian Rachlin

In 1979, the outstanding violin virtuoso violinist Vladimir Spivakov united the best musicians of the Russian capital in the chamber orchestra Moscow Virtuosi. The principles of the legendary partnership of musicians remain inviolable today. The Star Ensemble of Soloists and Concert Masters of the Best Moscow Orchestras, which included members of the renowned Borodin Quartet Mikhail Kopelman, Andrei Abramenkov, Dmitry Shebalin and Valentin Berlinsky, handed over the baton to new generations of talented musicians, winners and laureates of international and national competitions. Not only professionalism and skill, but also human qualities and a high ethics of relations have always been and remain in the first place.

Today musicians do not have undeveloped areas of the world’s cultural space. The orchestra’s concerts are triumphant in European countries, the USA, Canada, Mexico, South America, Israel, China, Korea, Japan, Turkey and others. The musicians perform not only in the best, most famous halls (Concertgebouw in Amsterdam, Musikverein in Vienna, Royal Festival Hall and Royal Albert Hall in London, Pleyel in Paris, Carnegie Hall and Avery Fisher Hall in New York, Suntory Hall in Tokyo, etc.), but also in ordinary concert halls of small towns. The geography of Moscow Virtuosi tours also includes all regions of Russia and the post-Soviet space. Traveling around Russia is invaluable, and meetings with a wonderful audience are unique. 

The orchestra has been performed by such outstanding musicians as Mstislav Rostropovich, Elena Obraztsova, Yehudi Menuhin, Vladimir Krainev, Saulus Sondeckis and Jesse Norman, Yuri Bashmet, Maxim Vengerov, Hibla Gerzmava, Evgeny Kisin, Misha Maisky, Denis Matsuev, Shlomo Mints, Mikhail Pletnev, Julian Rachlin, Giora Feydman, Michel Legrand, Pinchas Zuckerman. Excellent contemporary musicians Christian Zacharias, Vadim Repin, Peter Gut, Andres Mustonen, Dmitry Sitkovetsky, Vladimir Feltsman and others became conductors. Young talents make their debut and perform with the orchestra, some of them – violinist Daniel Lozakovich from Sweden, Israeli cellist Daniel Akta, Russian pianist Alexander Malofeev – have today become real stars on the stage. The concert programme entitled Moscow Virtuosi. Today and Tomorrow, where the soloists are talented scholars of the Vladimir Spivakov International Charitable Foundation, laureates of international competitions. 

In every performance, the Moscow Virtuosi succeeds in the main thing: to emotionally excite and intellectually entice anyone, even unprepared people, to give them the joy of communicating with musical masterpieces, to awaken in them a desire to come to the concert once again. Moscow Virtuosi treats traditions with care. The orchestra’s extensive repertoire includes music from various styles and eras, from Baroque to works by Dmitry Shostakovich, Sergei Prokofiev, Bela Bartók, Astor Piazzolla, Krzysztof Penderecki, Rodion Shchedrin, Alfred Schnittke, Sofia Gubaidulina, Arvo Pärt and Giya Kancheli. 

The orchestra continues its hard but joyful creative work, maintaining the highest performing level and the right to the ambitious title Moscow Virtuosi. Here every musician is a bright personality, and together they form a world-class ensemble. What distinguishes him from many other chamber orchestras is a truly high European culture of ensemble performance, attention to the smallest details and nuances, careful, informal, active creative position in relation to the author’s idea, bright artistry, love and respect for the audience who came to the concert. 

The outstanding violinist and conductor Vladimir Spivakov has been the permanent artistic director and chief conductor of the Moscow Virtuosi Chamber Orchestra since its creation. It is thanks to Maestro Spivakov, his many years of painstaking work with the orchestra that Moscow Virtuosi are among the best chamber orchestras in the world, with a constant and grateful audience everywhere, recognition and the highest reputation that has been won over years of hard work and creativity. Since 2003, the Orchestra’s permanent rehearsal base has been the Moscow International House of Music.

Equally respected as a violinist and violist, Sarah McElravy is enjoying a diverse international career of concerto, recital, and chamber music performances. Highlights of the 2021/22 season include performances with the Helsinki Philharmonic, Prague Philharmonia, Warsaw Philharmonic and the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic. 

Highly regarded in Europe, North America and Asia, recent highlights include appearances as soloist with the Trondheim Symphony Orchestra, Dortmunder Philharmoniker, Vienna Chamber Orchestra, Moscow Philharmonic, Bayerischer Rundfunk Chamber Orchestra, Innsbruck Philharmonic, Kristiansand Symphony, Naples Philharmonic, and Sofia Philharmonic. She performed the UK premiere of the Penderecki Double Concerto for Violin and Viola with Julian Rachlin and the Royal Northern Sinfonia conducted by Alexander Joel, and Strauss’ Don Quixote with Boris Andrianov and the Russian National Orchestra under the baton of Dmitri Jurowski. She has also performed with the Moscow Soloists conducted by Yuri Bashmet, as well as the Slovenian Philharmonic, Nice Philharmonic, Turku Philharmonic and Moscow Virtuosi. Ms. McElravy also made her Japan debut with the Royal Northern Sinfonia at the La Folle Journée Festival.

In chamber music, 2021 highlights include performances in Xian, China with Martha Argerich, a Beethoven Quartet collaboration at Schloss Esterházy in Eisenstadt for the Herbstgold Festival, and a special Bach Goldberg Variations project that will be toured throughout Europe. She has performed at the Vienna Musikverein, Carnegie Hall, Kennedy Center, Suntory Hall, Prague Spring Festival, Sion Festival, Lauenen Chamber Music Festival, Julian Rachlin & Friends Festival in Palma de Mallorca, Kronberg Academy, Schloss Elmau, Ottawa Chamber Music Festival and the Janine Jansen International Chamber Music Festival. Ms. McElravy's chamber music partners include, among others, Julian Rachlin, Janine Jansen, Vilde Frang, Denis Kozhukhin, Itamar Golan, Andreas Ottensamer, Mischa Maisky, Nicolas Altstaedt, Boris Andrianov, and Daniel Müller-Schott. 

A founding member of the award-winning Linden String Quartet, she has toured extensively throughout North America and Europe. The ensemble served as Fellowship Quartet-in-residence at Yale University, Apprentice Quartet at the Cleveland Institute of Music, and gave teaching residencies at the University of Iowa, University of Idaho, Caramoor Festival, and Detroit Chamber Music Society amongst others. The quartet gave frequent masterclasses, lectures, and educational outreach performances across the United States and Canada. The Linden Quartet received Gold medal and Grand prize at the 2009 Fischoff National Chamber Music Competition, 2009 Coleman National Chamber Ensemble Competition, the 2010 Hugo Kauder Competition, the ProQuartet Prize at the 9th Borciani String Quartet Competition, and a prestigious New York Concert Artists Guild management contract. 

In 2014, Ms. McElravy founded the Chamber Music Society México, an organization dedicated to presenting world-class chamber music in México City. As the Artistic Director, she brought leading North American artists to perform and provide educational programs for talented young Mexican musicians. 

Ms. McElravy received her Bachelor and Master of Music at the Cleveland Institute of Music under the tutelage of Paul Kantor and Stephen Rose. She subsequently completed a two-year graduate string-quartet-in-residence program at Yale University’s School of Music, mentored by the Tokyo String Quartet. 

Ms. McElravy plays on a 1791 Ferdinando Gagliano violin and a 1785 Lorenzo Storioni viola on loan to her courtesy of the Dkfm. Angelika Prokopp Privatstiftung in Vienna, Austria.

Julian Rachlin is one of the most renowned artistic personalities of our time. In his over thirty-year career, Mr. Rachlin’s multifaceted interests have taken him across the globe as a conductor, soloist, recording artist, chamber musician, teacher, and artistic director. As a violinist, Rachlin has shared the stage with virtually every major orchestra and conductor. A frequent presence on the conductor’s podium, his performances have thrilled audiences worldwide and his electrifying and sensitive interpretations have placed him at the forefront of classical music.

Rachlin’s elegant and dynamic style has cemented his reputation as one of the leading conductors of his generation. Known for his meticulous rehearsal methods and superb musicianship, he has conducted the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Israel Philharmonic Orchestra, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Konzerthausorchester Berlin, Russian National Orchestra, Moscow Philharmonic Orchestra, China Philharmonic Orchestra, Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra, Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, and the symphony orchestras of Vienna, City of Birmingham, RAI Torino as well as at the Grand Teton and Verbier festivals. Mr. Rachlin serves as Principal Guest Conductor of the Turku Philharmonic Orchestra and the Kristiansand Symphony Orchestra and is Principal Artistic Partner of the Royal Northern Sinfonia. 

A major presence in the performing arts since the age of thirteen, Mr. Rachlin has spent over three decades cementing his reputation as one of the world’s premiere classical violinists. Recent highlights as soloist include appearances with the Munich Philharmonic and Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra under the baton of Zubin Mehta, Mariinsky Orchestra with Valery Gergiev, Oslo Philharmonic Orchestra under Klaus Mäkelä, St.Petersburg Philharmonic Orchestra with Yuri Temirkanov, Boston Symphony Orchestra, Orchestra Filarmonica della Scala, Symphonieorchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks, Montreal Symphony Orchestra under Christoph Eschenbach and the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra with Manfred Honeck. 

A strong proponent of expanding the relevance of classical music within today’s cultural framework, Mr. Rachlin’s projects with living composers and cross-median collaborations have brought together artists from a variety of disciplines, backgrounds and genres. He has worked closely with, and premiered works of, Krzysztof Penderecki, Giya Kancheli, Vangelis and Lera Auerbach. In 2000, he joined Mstislav Rostropovich in the premiere of Penderecki’s Sextet and Penderecki later wrote and dedicated the Concerto Doppio for Violin, Viola, and Orchestra as well as the Ciaccona for Violin and Viola to Mr. Rachlin. He has appeared in films, collaborated with digital instillation artists, and has worked with noted personalities, John Malkovich, Sir Roger Moore, and Gerard Depardieu. 

Rachlin’s renowned music festivals reflect his joie de vivre and passion for bringing great artists and international audiences together in a celebration of music and art. He frequently collaborates with longtime musical partners, Martha Argerich, Evgeny Kissin, Denis Matsuev, Janine Jansen, Vilde Frang and Mischa Maisky. His untiring work and dedication for his Julian Rachlin & Friends festival in Dubrovnik, Croatia that ran for over a decade, has been recognized worldwide, and Mr. Rachlin has recently been appointed the Artistic Director of the Herbstgold-Festival at the legendary Esterházy Palace in Eisenstadt, Austria. 

Dedicated to educating and supporting young talent, Mr. Rachlin founded the Julian Rachlin and Friends Foundation to help nurture the careers of extraordinary young musicians. Since 1999, Mr. Rachlin has served as a faculty member and professor at the Musik und Kunst Privatuniversität der Stadt Wien. 

Mr. Rachlin is the recipient of numerous awards recognizing his work in the field of classical music, including as an Accademia Musicale Chigiana Siena Prize laureate, World Economic Forum Young Global Leader, and a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador for the United Nations Children’s Fund. In 2013, Mr. Rachlin performed alongside Zubin Mehta and the Bavarian State Orchestra at the historic Peace for Kashmir concert at the Mugal-era Shalimar Gardens in Srinagar, Kashmir, the first ever performance by a Western orchestra in that region. 

Born in Lithuania, Rachlin emigrated to Vienna with his family at the age of three, where he studied violin under the renowned Boris Kuschnir at the Musik und Kunst Privatuniversität der Stadt Wien and received private lessons from Pinchas Zukerman in New York City. Mr. Rachlin also completed conducting studies with Maestro Mariss Jansons, Sophie Rachlin and was mentored by Maestro Daniele Gatti. 

Mr. Rachlin plays the 1704 "ex Liebig" Stradivari and a 1785 Lorenzo Storioni viola, on loan to him courtesy of the Dkfm. Angelika Prokopp Privatstiftung. His strings are kindly sponsored by Thomastik-Infeld. Mr. Rachlin’s critically acclaimed recordings can be heard on Deutsche Grammophon, Sony Classical, and Warner Class.