State Academic Symphony Orchestra of the Russian Federation
- This article is about the orchestra known in Soviet times as the USSR State Symphony Orchestra. For the orchestra known in Soviet times as the USSR Ministry of Culture Symphony Orchestra, see State Symphony Capella of Russia.
The State Academic Symphony Orchestra of the Russian Federation is one of the premier orchestras in Russia. It is based in Moscow. It was founded in 1936 as the USSR State Symphony Orchestra and was intended to be the flagship orchestra for the Soviet Union. However, the older Leningrad Philharmonic Orchestra claimed this distinction for most critics. The orchestra acquired its current name after the fall of the Soviet Union. It is also sometimes known as the Russian State Symphony Orchestra.
In 2000 longtime music director Evgeny Svetlanov was controversially fired by Vladimir Putin's minister of culture, Mikhail Shvydkoi. The reason given was that Svetlanov was spending too much time conducting abroad and not enough time in Moscow. [1]. In 2002 Svetlanov was replaced by Mark Gorenstein, who had initially refused to take the position.
Music Directors
- Mark Gorenstein (2002–)
- Evgeny Svetlanov (1965–2000)
- Konstantin Ivanov (1946–1965)
- Natan Rakhlin (1941–1945)
- Alexander Gauk (1936–1941)