St. Petersburg State Symphony to Perform at the Van Wezel, 1/8

The St. Petersburg State Symphony, performing at the Van Wezel on January 8, was established in 1967.

Its first leaders were some of the outstanding masters of the Leningrad conducting school, Nikolai Rabinovich, Karl Eliasberg, and Edward Grikurov. Its determination to perform seldom-played repertoire of different musical styles and nations, and its eager attention to the music of living composers, also defined the orchestra's name: from its founding until 1985 it was called the "Orchestra of Ancient and Modern Music." The brightest moments for the ensemble during that period took place under the leadership of conductor Edward Serov, who headed the orchestra for 15 years. It was under his baton that the orchestra performed in hundreds of cities in the former Soviet Union and the world, recorded dozens of LPs for the Soviet Melodiya label, participated in the most prestigious festivals, and earned its ranking as Leningrad's third after the two famous philharmonic orchestras. In 2013, the St. Petersburg State Symphony's status was elevated to the second highest rank.

In 2008, Vladimir Lande became the orchestra's principal guest conductor, and in 2011 he took them on a grand tour of the Americas including Alice Tully Hall, Lincoln Center, NYC; Boston Symphony Hall; Kimmel Hall in Philadelphia; Meyerhoff Hall in Baltimore; the Society of the Performing Arts in Houston; and the the National Gallery in Washington, DC, among others; they also played the inaugural concert at the new Soka Performing Arts Center in Orange County, CA, performed in Mexico, Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay, Chile, Peru, Ecuador and Costa Rica. Their performance at the Van Wezel will also include Russian pianist, Andrei Gavrilov.

The orchestra's vast repertoire has become its "calling card." It performs music of every epoch, genre, and style, and has given many premiere performances of opuses by living composers. For its creative activities, professionalism, and promotion of Russian art abroad, the orchestra was given the honorary title of "Academic," which is only awarded in Russia to the highest echelon of cultural institutions.

Tickets are $20-$70 and can be purchased by visiting VanWezel.org, the Box Office, or by calling 941-953-3368.

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