Tugan Sokhiev becomes Music Director of Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin (DSO) in the 2012|13 season for an initial period of four years. He is the newly appointed Music Director Designate with immediate effect. On three occasions he already conducted his future orchestra, for the first time, aged 25, at the beginning of 2003 in the series ›Debüt im Deutschlandradio Kultur‹. In November 2007, he conducted a highly successful performance of Rachmaninoff’s Symphonic Dances and two years later, on 6 December 2009, he made an indelible impression likewise with his interpretation of Tchaikovsky’s Fifth Symphony. It »became a fiery appeal on behalf of art«. (rbb Kulturradio)

The North Ossetian-born conductor is also Music Director of Orchestre National du Capitole de Toulouse, to which he was appointed in 2008 after three years as Principal Guest Conductor and Artistic Advisor. The relationship between Sokhiev and his musicians in Toulouse is increasingly celebrated - Figaro recently described the partnership as »at the centre of the French musical life«. He also enjoys a close association with the Mariinsky Theatre and is in demand from leading opera houses and orchestras worldwide.
Sokhiev made his critically-acclaimed debut with Vienna Philharmonic in 2009 and other recent highlights include highly successful débuts with the Berlin Philharmonic - where the critics hailed him »Dirigentenwunderwaffe« (miracle conductor) - and Rotterdam Philharmonic. Plans for the 2010|11 season and beyond include ›Pique Dame‹ for Wiener Staatsoper, returns to his regular orchestras including Finnish Radio, DSO Berlin, Santa Cecilia and a concerts and European touring with Philharmonia Orchestra (to which he returns each season) and Mahler Chamber Orchestra. His Mariinsky Theatre commitments include many new productions; plans for Toulouse include further recordings, extensive touring and opera productions at Théâtre du Capitole.

He has appeared as guest conductor with Orquesta Nacional de España, Fondazione Arturo Toscanini, National Philharmonic of Russia, NHK Symphony, RAI Turin, La Scala’s concert series, Bournemouth Symphony and Orchestra of the Bayerische Staatsoper in Munich, Strasbourg, Montpellier, Frankfurt, Swedish Radio, Vienna Radio, Frankfurt Radio Symphony, Sydney Symphony, Oslo Philharmonic, Royal Concertgebouw, Munich Philharmonic, Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France and Orchestre National de France. His performance in the Théâtre des Champs-Elysées with Orchestre National du Capitole resulted in his being named ›Révélation musicale de l'année‹ by the French Critics’ Union in 2005.

During his collaboration with Toulouse, he has conducted many critically-acclaimed concerts in France, Germany, Vienna, Croatia, Spain, China, Japan, and will tour to Russia in Autumn 2010. His first two recordings for Naïve Classique – which include Tchaikovsky Fourth Symphony, Mussorgsky ›Pictures at an Exhibition‹ and Prokofiev ›Peter and the Wolf‹ – received remarkable reviews.

Sokhiev made his UK opera debut with ›La bohème‹ for Welsh National Opera in 2002 and the following year made his debut at the Metropolitan Opera Company, New York, conducting the Mariinsky Opera’s ›Eugene Onegin‹. He also made a highly acclaimed first visit to the 2004 Aix-en-Provence Festival (›Love of Three Oranges‹), followed by most successful revivals in Luxembourg and Teatro Real, Madrid and in 2006 conducted a much praised ›Boris Godunov‹ for Houston Grand Opera. In recent seasons he has conducted ›The Golden Cockerel‹, ›Iolanta‹, ›Samson and Delilah‹, ›The Firey Angel and Carmen‹ at the Mariinsky Theatre and ›Pique Dame‹ and ›Iolanta‹ at Théâtre du Capitole.

September 2010