Vladimir Fedoseyev


Vladimir Ivanovich Fedoseyev is a Soviet and Russian conductor.

Life

Fedoseyev graduated from the Gnessin State Musical College, and Moscow Conservatory. When still a student, Fedoseyev became a conductor of the USSR Radio Russian Folk Instrument Orchestra, and then for fifteen years was its leader.
From 1974 to 1999, he was artistic director and chief conductor of the Tchaikovsky Symphony Orchestra of Moscow Radio, and from 1997 to 2004 principal conductor of the Vienna Symphony. Since 2006, he has been music director of the Tchaikovsky Symphony Orchestra of Moscow Radio.
When in winter 1975, the USSR Radio and Television Orchestra was on tour in Japan, a reviewer of the Hota Shimbun newspaper wrote:
«Fedoseyev has worked out his own style, the gist of which is the accentuation of rhythm colors and melody design and the imparting of clarity and simplicity to complicated music compositions. From the first to the last bar he performed the Fifth Symphony by Shostakovich in a clear and precise way, and this performance of his cannot be subjected to criticism, as it is faultless.»

In 2002–03, the Swiss label Relief published a series "Anni in Concordia 1974-1999", primarily reissues of Melodiya recordings, in tribute to Fedoseyev's work with the Tchaikovsky Symphony Orchestra. This series featured Russian operas otherwise little known in the West.

Allegations of antisemitism

In the October 2012 issue of "Seven Arts" conductor Gennady Rozhdestvensky recalled Fedoseyev at the time of the removal of Jewish musicians from the Moscow Radio Symphony. According to that source, he felt Fedoseyev seemed like a participant in the antisemitic purge.

Honors/Legacy