ABOUT US

TARUSA CHAMBER ORCHESTRA

The Tarusa Chamber Orchestra is inextricably linked with the unique natural-architectural and historical reserve, the city of Tarusa, and has become an integral part of its cultural life (Tarusa received the «Literary city of Russia-2020» honorary status and soon can enter the network of UNESCO creative cities). Since the TCO foundation in 2014, its artistic director Ivan Velikanov has been preparing various programmes together with young musicians, from monographic to festival, including Russian and European works of the 18th-21st centuries.

Among musicians performed with the orchestra: Alexei Lyubimov (piano), Ekaterina Mechetina (piano), Maxim Emelyanychev (piano), Rem Urasin (piano), Olga Martynova (harpsichord), Elizaveta Miller (harpsichord, piano), Vladislav Pesin (violin), Dmitry Synkovsky (violin), Konstantin Kaznacheyev (violin), Egor Ivanenko (baroque violin), Mariana Osipova and Dmitry Khakhalin (viola), Sergei Poltavsky (viola), Irina Sopova (viola, viole d’amour), Eugeny Rumyantsev (cello), Alexander Gulin (viola da gamba), Jean-Pierre Pinet (flauto traverso; France), Anastasia Kosarskaya (oboe), Philip Nodel (baroque oboe), Valentin Uryupin (clarinet), Yuri Mansurov (clarinet), Anastasia Batrakova (bassoon), Marina Belova (lute, theorbo, baroque guitar), Olga Lutsiv-Ternovskaya (soprano), Daria Terekhova (soprano), Liliya Gaysina (soprano), Anastasia Bondareva (soprano), Maxim Sazhin (tenor), Anton Zarayev (baritone), Julia Makariyants (mezzo-soprano), Anastasia Lepeshinskaya (mezzo-soprano).

One of the main concert venues of the TCO is the the Tarusa Writer’s House which construction coincided with the formation of this young creative team. The orchestra is a regular participant of Music and Arts Festival of the Sviatoslav Richter Foundation and the Winter Tarusa festival, performing also with young musicians within the Summer Art School and the Tsvetayevs’ Days. The TCO contribution to the “musical treasury” of the beloved city have become the Shakespeare in Tarusa festival and La Renaissance-2016 in Tarusa (with concert of J.-P. Pinet, flauto traverso, supported by the French Institute in Russia), both held on the initiative of Ivan Velikanov. The first opera premiere in Tarusa has been created in January 2018 — Le Cinesi by Glück (conducting director Ivan Velikanov, stage director Tatiana Mitkalyova). Along with educational programmes there is a forthcoming project of establishing a Chamber musical theatre on the basis of the TCO. The geography of performances is constantly expanding: the orchestra participated in the Open-Air Festival in Podmoklovo, in the Summer International Arts Festival in Polenovo, performed in Kaluga, Obninsk, and St-Petersburg State Academic Chapel (2018–2019). The TCO has already presented few programmes in Moscow: in 2017 with the participation of the Bolshoi theater soloists at the City Day and within the Night of Arts project; in 2018 the first «solo» concert of the orchestra was held (Rakhmaninov Hall of the Moscow Conservatory) within the programme of the festival In memory of the Prince. Dedication to Andrei Volkonsky. 1933–2008. In 2019-20 the TCO made its first international tours with concerts in Finland (Helsinki Music Centre), Estonia (Tallinn Philharmonia), Switzerland (Casino Bern, Kongresshaus – Palais des Congrès).

Ivan (Jean) Velikanov

Born in Paris in 1986. At the age of 5 entered Rachmaninoff Conservatoire in Paris (piano); began to compose music, at the age of 7 started regular lessons with composer and organist Leonid Karev.

In 1993 moved to Moscow. In 1997-1999 studied singing with Lidia Davydova, performing as descant including concerts with the Madrigal ensemble of early music.

In 2000-2004 studied at the Academic Music College under the Moscow Conservatoire (theory of music faculty), also took lessons of composition, studied harpsichord playing with prof. Tatiana Zenaishvili.

In 2004-2009: studied theory and composition with prof. Roman Ledeniov at the Composition Department of the Moscow Conservatoire, also studied organ playing with prof. Lyubov’ Shishkhanova, conducting with prof. Valery Polyansky. In 2008-2012 studied orchestra conducting with prof. Gennady Rozhdestvensky at the Symphonic Orchestra Conducting Department of the Moscow Conservatoire (graduated with honours); at the same time continiued studying organ playing with prof. Alexey Semionov and harpsichord playing with prof. Maria Uspenskaya, conducting with prof. Vladimir Altschuler.

Participant of master-classes: conducting with K. Masur (2006), K. Kiesler (2007), Th. Currentzis (2008), sir R. Norrington (2010), G. Gelmetti (2014), G. Lanzetta (2015), M. Jurowski (2016, 2018), A. Polyanichko (2017), S. Mäkilä (2017), K. Järvi (2018); harpsichord playing with Chr. Schornsheim (2010, Germany); organetto playing with G. Pérez (2011, France); cornetto playing with J. Tubéry (2011, Corsica); performing of 14th cent. European music (2011, Italy).

Award-winner of the 2nd I. Mussin orchestra conductors competition (2011). Won the Bolshoi Theatre contest for creation of a musical stage work for children and teenagers (2008).

In 2009 created in Moscow the first Russian early music ensemble playing on historical wind instruments — Alta Capella, and became its artistic director. With the ensemble members took part in master-classes by prof. M. Lubenow (2010, Germersheim, Germany), prof. W. Dongois (2010, 2011, 2012, Moscow), prof. B. Dickey (2010, Urbino, Italy), prof. W. Becu (2011, Salzburg, Austria, Akademie für Alte Musik Bremen – Internationale Sommerakademie Mozarteum; 2013, Moscow), prof. G. Pérez (2012, 2013, Moscow), prof. A. Lawrence-King (2013, 2014, Moscow), prof. J. Tubéry (2013, Moscow), prof. J.-F. Novelli (2014, Moscow), prof. G. David (2014, Bremen), prof. B. Bagby and M. Mauillon (2015, Moscow). Performs as multi-instrumentalist with various ensembles and solo.

In 2011 arranged the International festival of music and dance La Renaissance taking place in Moscow, and became its artistic director.

In 2012 was project assistant of the N.I. Satz Moscow Music Theatre for Children production of E. de’ Cavalieri Rappresentazione di anima, et di corpo (artistic director — A. Lawrence-King; special prize of the “Golden Mask” National Theatre Award jury, 2013). In 2014-2015 also worked as assistant to Vladimir Jurowski (incl. a concert version of R. Strauss’ “Salomé”), with his Alta Capella ensemble, he participated in Vladimir Jurowski’s concert programmes juxtaposing Romantic repertoire with thematically related Renaissance and Baroque pieces.

In 2014 based the Tarusa Chamber Orchestra which repertoire includes music of 18th–20th centuries performed in historically informed manner on period instruments.

In 2014 — visiting conductor at the Sakha (Yakutia) Republic Academic Opera and Ballet Theatre, where he produced a renovated stage performance of Mozart’s “Die Zauberflöte”. In the 2014-2015 season — second conductor of the Pavel Slobodkin’s Centre Small Symphony Orchestra; he gave several concerts with this orchestra, performing a large repertoire ranging from Haydn to Prokofiev, esp. a whole series of famous violin concertos.

In 2014-2017 – assistant conductor at the Stanislavsky and Nemirovich-Danchenko Moscow Academic Music Theatre where he staged productions of “A Gentle Spirit (Krotkaya)”, opera by J. Tavener and “Rasyomon. Variations”, ballet by G. Varlamov. Also conducted performances: “An Acquaintance with Orchestra”, “A Giude to Orchestra”, “Aladdin’s Magic Lamp” (opera by N. Rota); in 2014-2016 held sets of early music concerts at the Theatre’ Atrium.

He regularly performs as a conductor with various chamber orchestras, among them Toscana Classica (Florence, 2016), Volga Philharmonic (Samara, 2018), chamber composition of the Rostov-on-the-Don Philharmonic orchestra (2018).

In 2017 — visiting conductor at the Mikhailovsky Theatre in St. Petersburg (“Die Zauberflöte”, “Le nozze di Figaro” by Mozart, “Romeo and Juliet” by Prokofiev). In winter 2017, Ivan was invited by the Novosibirsk Academic Opera and Ballet Theatre, where he worked as assistant and 2nd conductor with Dmitri Jurowski on the stage production of Verdi’s “Un Ballo in Maschera”. In 2018 has created premiere of “Le Cinesi” opera by Glück (stage director – T. Mitkalyova; Tarusa, Writer’s House).

Since December 2018 — staff conductor of the Ural Opera (Ekaterinburg State Opera and Ballet Theatre).

In 2019-20 made his first international tour with the TCO concerts in Finland (Helsinki Music Centre), Estonia (Tallinn Philharmonia), Switzerland (Casino Bern, Kongresshaus – Palais des Congrès).