National Philharmonic Orchestra of Russia,
Stanislav Kochanovsky, Alexander Buzlov

The National Philharmonic Orchestra of Russia (NPR) was founded in January 2003 by the Ministry of Culture. The Orchestra united top orchestra musicians and gifted youth. During the years of its activities, the NPR has succeeded in becoming one of the best symphonic orchestras of Russia and in gaining admiration from the audience and recognition from the professionals. 

The Orchestra is headed by Vladimir Spivakov, a world-known violinist and conductor. 

The National Philharmonic Orchestra of Russia has been collaborated prominent conductors such as Michel Plasson, Vladimir Ashkenazy, Krzysztof Penderecki, James Conlon, Okko Kamu, Jukka-Pekka Saraste, Alexander Lazarev, John Nelson, Jan Latham-Koenig, Alexander Vedernikov, Tugan Sokhiev, Ken-David Masur, Simon Gaudenz, Stanislav Kochanovsky, Alexander Soloviev, Gabriel Bebeşelea, Pierre Bleuse and others.

The NPR has performed with many outstanding artists, such as Jessye Norman, Placido Domingo, Jose Carreras, Kiri Te Kanawa, Dmitry Hvorostovsky, Renee Fleming, Juan Diego Florez, Matthias Goerne, Waltraud Meier, Ferruccio Furlanetto, Marcelo Alvarez, Ramon Vargas, Violeta Urmana, Anna Netrebko, Ildar Abdrazakov, Gidon Kremer, Gil Shaham, Natalia Gutman, Alexander Knyazev, Arkady Volodos, Evgeny Kissin, Vadim Repin, Martha Argerich, Boris Berezovsky, Kun Woo-Paik, Marc-Andre Hamelin, Pierre-Laurent Aimard, Renaud Capuçon, Gautier Capuçon, Viktoria Mullova and others. 

Among many artists who have worked with the NPR on a regular basis are John Lill, Denis Matsuev, Nikoly Lugansky, Vadim Gluzman, Hibla Gerzmava, Albina Shagimuratova, Anna Aglatova, Vasily Ladyuk, Dmitry Korchak, Nikolay Tokarev, Alexander Romanovsky, Sergey Dogadin, David Garrett, Alexander Ramm. 

The NPR’s repertoire covers the period from early classical symphonies to the newest works of modern composers. In the course of eleven years the Orchestra has presented many exceptional projects, world premieres, unique transcription series and concert cycles. 

In accordance with its status and name, the National Philharmonic Orchestra of Russia gives concerts not only in Moscow, but in various regions of Russia as well. The NPR ends up each season with a tour in Russia. Every year the NPR takes part in the International Music Festival in Colmar, France. The Orchestra has toured extensively over the CIS countries and the Baltic countries, in Europe, the USA, China and Japan. 

In May 2005 the Capriccio Recording Company released CD and DVD of Isaak Schwartz’s Concert for Orchestra, titled Yellow Stars, recorded by the NPR under the baton of Vladimir Spivakov to whom the composer dedicated the work. In 2010–2016 Sony Classical released several NPR’s CDs with music of Tchaikovsky, Rachmaninoff, Rimsky-Korsakov, Grieg etc. In 2014–2021, a number of recordings of Russian music were released under the Spivakov Sound label, including Eugene Onegin by Tchaikovsky, a triple album with works by Tchaikovsky (Symphonies No. 4-6, Italian Capriccio, Romeo and Juliet); The Bells and The Spring by Rachmaninoff, as well as his complete piano concertos (with Alexander Romanovsky); the albums Holy Russia (sacred works by Rachmaninoff and Taneyev), Magic in Music and Masterpieces of Russian Music (Lyadov, Stravinsky, Prokofiev, Mussorgsky, Rimsky-Korsakov, Scriabin). It is planned to release three Rachmaninoff's symphonies for the 150th anniversary of the composer's birth.

Stanislav Kochanovsky was born in and studied at St.Petersburg Conservatoire and is now considered one of the brightest and most promising young conductors heralding from Russia today. With an in-depth knowledge and experience of a wide range of symphonic and operatic repertoire gleaned during his formative years conducting at the Mikhailovsky Theatre and as a Chief Conductor of the State Safonov Philharmonic Orchestra, Kochanovsky is now receiving attention from orchestras and opera houses around the world.

Stanislav has had numerous recent successful debuts: Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, Wiener Symphoniker, HR Frankfurt Radio Orchestra, Oslo Philharmonic Orchestra, City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, Royal Stockholm Philharmonic and the Israel Philharmonic. 

During the 2021/22 season, Stanislav makes his debut with Elbphilharmonie Orchester NDR, Lucerne Symphony Orchestra, Galicia Orchestra and returns to conduct the Orchestre de Paris, The Philharmonia Orchestra (London), Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia, Dresden Philharmonic, DR Danish National Radio Orchestra, Rotterdam Philharmonic, Netherlands Radio Philharmonic and the main Russian orchestras such as the St.Petersburg and Moscow Philharmonic, Mariinsky Orchestra, Russian National Orchestra, National Philharmonic Orchestra of Russia. 

Following the great success of his debut at the Verbier Festival in 2017 with the Verbier Festival Academy, he is now a regular guest conducting an opera in concert every year: Eugene Onegin (2017), Rigoletto (2018) and a symphonic program with soloists Lucas Debargue and Mikhail Pletnev, and Die Zauberflöte (2019). In summer 2022 Stanislav is going back to Verbier with concert performance of Hansel und Gretel. Stanislav is a regular guest of Stars of the White Nights (St.Petersburg), Klarafestival (Brussels), MiTo Festival Settembre Musica (Milan and Turin) and Usedom Festival in Peenemunde. 

Recent opera engagements have included Pique Dame and Eugene Onegin (Opernhaus Zürich), Iolanta (Maggio Musicale Fiorentino), Prince Igor (Dutch National Opera Amsterdam) and Boris Godunov (Korean National Opera), working with directors such as Dmitri Tcherniakov and Barrie Kosky. As a guest conductor, Stanislav regularly performs at the Mariinsky Theatre (Tosca, Madama Butterfly, Eugene Onegin, Iolanta, Boris Godunov, Khovanshchina, Samson et Dalilah, Carmen), and has more than thirty operas in his repertoire. 

In addition to his dedication conducting the pillars of the classical repertoire, Stanislav has a strong interest in conducting rarely performed works. Over the last few seasons, Stanislav has conducted special repertoire such as Ligeti’s Requiem, Scriabin-Nemtin’s Prefatory Action Mysterium and Kodály Psalmus Hungaricus with Belgian National Orchestra, Shostakovich’s unfinished opera The Gamblers in St.Petersburg Chamber Opera; Myaskovsky Silence and Mieczyslaw Weinberg Symphony No.21 Kaddish with National Philharmonic Orchestra of Russia in Moscow; cantatas by Jan van Gilse Sulamith and Sergei Taneev John of Damascus with the Netherlands Radio Philharmonic Orchestra. 

Also Stanislav is committed to bringing works by living composers to the stage such as Dean, Fedele, Gubaidulina, Broström, Visman, Campogrande, Martinsson, Golijov, Thorvaldsdottir, Tarnopolski, Rääts amongst others. 

Stanislav Kochanovsky attended the Glinka Choir School in his home town of St Petersburg before going on to graduate with honours at the Rimsky-Korsakov Conservatoire, where he studied choral conducting with Prof. Tatiana Khitrova (2004), organ with Prof. Nina Oksentyan (2004) and opera-symphonic conducting with Prof. Alexander Titov (2008). His collaboration with the Mikhailovsky Theatre in St.Petersburg began in 2007 where, from the age of 25, he was given the invaluable opportunity to conduct over 60 opera and ballet performances.

Alexandre Bouzlov is one of the most vivid and talented cellists of the next generation, one who represents the Russian performing school with honour at the world’s leading music venues. 

Alexandre Bouzlov was born in Moscow in 1983. In 2006 he graduated from the Moscow Conservatoire itself in the class of Natalia Gutman. At master-classes, he has received instruction from such renowned cellists as Mstislav Rostropovich, Daniil Shafran, Natalia Shakhovskaya, Boris Talalay, Eberhard Finke and Bernard Greenhouse.

Alexandre Bouzlov has won 1st prizes at Young Concert Artist competitions in Leipzig (2000) and New York (2001) and the Grand Prix in the categories “Cello” and “Chamber Ensemble” at the New Names All-Russian Open Competition (Moscow, 2000). In 2005 he took 2nd prize at one of the most prestigious music compositions in Europe – the ARD International Cello Competition in Munich (Germany), while in 2007 he was the undoubted favourite at the XIII International Tchaikovsky Competition at which he took the Silver Medal, the prize for the best performance of a work by Tchaikovsky and the special prize of the Mstislav Rostropovich and Galina Vishnevskaya Foundation. One year later the cellist took 2nd prize at the LXIII International Cello Competition in Geneva, the oldest cello competition in Europe. In 2010 he was awarded Grand Prix and Audience prize at the Emanuel Feuermann Cello Competition in Berlin. Alexandre Bouzlov has won 3rd prize at the XV International Tchaikovsky Competition (2015). 

He has worked with conductors including Valery Gergiev, Yuri Bashmet,Vladimir Fedoseyev, Karel Maria Chichon, Paavo Järvi, Yakov Kreizberg, Stanislav Kochanovsky, Thomas Sanderling, Leonard Slatkin, Vladimir Spivakov, Yuri Temirkanov, Christoph Poppen. As a soloist he has performed with numerous American symphony orchestras, travelling to almost each and every American state while on tour. Alexandre Bouzlov’s debut at the renowned Carnegie Hall took place in 2005, while May the same year saw a gala at the Lincoln Center in New York with the Orchestra of St Luke’s under the baton of Leonard Slatkin. 

Alexandre Bouzlov performs with such acclaimed musicians as Natalia Gutman, Yuri Bashmet, Vadim Repin, Leonidas Kavakos, Martha Argerich, Julian Rachlin, Dmitry Sitkovetskiy. 

The cellist takes part in international festivals including Verbier Festival (Switzerland), Musical Kremlin, Moscow Autumn, December Evenings of Svyatoslav Richter (Moscow), the Stars of the White Nights, Arts Square and Musical Olympus (St Petersburg), festivals in Ludwigsburg, Mecklenburg Vorpommenn, Usedom (Germany) and festival in Menton (France), the Oleg Kagan Memorial Festivals in Moscow and Kreuth (Germany), international chamber music festivals in Colmar, Menton and Montpellier (France), Crescendo (Israel). 

He has recorded for Russian TV and radio as well as radio stations in Germany, Switzerland, France, the USA and Austria. He currently teaches at the Moscow Tchaikovsky Conservatoire where he has his own class and is an assistant to Professor Natalia Gutman; he runs master-classes in Russia, Europe and the USA. 

Bouzlov’s engagements for the current season include performances at the Trans-Siberian Art Festival and the Moscow Easter Festival, concerts with Stanislav Kochanovsky, Nikita Borisoglebsky, Valery Sokolov, Andrei Usov, Yury Favorin, Vadim Repin, recitals in various cities of Russia and Europe.