The State Academic Symphony Orchestra of the Republic of Bashkortostan

The State Academic Symphony Orchestra of the Republic of Bashkortostan is the main creative team of Bashkiria in the field of high academic musical art, which is the hallmark of classical symphonic music in the region, representing its native land both at the federal and international levels.

The State Academic Symphony Orchestra of the Republic of Bashkortostan has been successfully performing for the 33rd concert season. It was founded in 1992 by People’s Artist of the Republic of Bashkortostan T.T. Kamalov as a symphony orchestra of the Ufa television and radio company «Shark», since 1994  it became a Closed Joint—Stock Company National Symphony Orchestra of the Republic of Bashkortostan. In accordance with the Resolution of the Cabinet of Ministers of the Republic of Bashkortostan dated February 21, 1996 «On the establishment of the State institution of Culture and Art „National Symphony Orchestra of the Republic of Bashkortostan“, the orchestra was transferred to the jurisdiction of the Republic. On December 1, 2023, the orchestra was awarded the high title of „Academic“ and renamed the „State Academic Symphony Orchestra of the Republic of Bashkortostan“ in accordance with the Decree of the Government of the Republic of Bashkortostan.
Throughout its history, the orchestra has performed thousands of concerts in Ufa, the Republic of Bashkortostan, Russian cities and European countries. Concerts with the best foreign and domestic conductors and soloists, including Vladimir Spivakov, Denis Matsuev, Sergei Roldugin, Dmitry Hvorostovsky, Irina Arkhipova, Elena Obraztsova, Nikolai Petrov, Zurab Sotkilava, Askar and Ildar Abdrazakov, Alexander Knyazev, Boris Berezovsky, Ekaterina Mechetina, Alexander Sladkovsky, Nikita Borisoglebsky, Andrey Korobeynikov, Vladislav Lavrik, Konstantin Orbelyan, and others.

In 2018, Artur Naziullin, a famous Russian musician, People’s Artist of the Republic of Bashkortostan was invited to the post of Artistic director and Director General of the orchestra, who invited one of the brightest young Russian conductors, People’s Artist of the Republic of Bashkortostan Dmitry Kryukov, to the post of chief conductor of the orchestra in 2019. The orchestra’s composition has also been significantly updated in recent years: now, along with the brightest musicians representing the Bashkir school of academic music, the basis of the orchestra is represented by musicians of the highest level with extensive experience in leading orchestras in Russia and the world. The successful personnel policy and management of the orchestra made it possible to significantly increase the level of performing skills and repertoire plan of the collective, as well as to form the tradition of the orchestra’s performances in the best concert halls of the country and the world.

The State Orchestra of the Republic of Bashkortostan annually gives more than eighty concerts both in Ufa and the cities of the republic, and in the regions of Russia, holds many significant musical events. The largest of them became the International Violin Competition of Vladimir Spivakov, the Music Festival «Denis Matsuev Presents: Dialogue of Generations,» the traditional annual Winter Festival, Summer Festival, the Festival «Romance of Autumn,» the annual open-air «Symphonic Night» at the International Festival «Heart of Eurasia» The orchestra pays great attention to educating young people, involving young talented children and adolescents in the orbit of high music: it holds the annual Elken Festival, «Children for Children Competition», and «We Open Wings Festival».

The orchestra’s leadership attaches great importance to the musical education of the residents of Bashkortostan. Over the past three seasons, dozens of concerts have been held in the municipalities of the republic, including remote ones, and a number of cities have welcomed the orchestra for the first time. In addition, the tour program includes both full orchestra concerts and performances by small orchestra’s groups in music education institutions of the Republic and master classes by soloists of the State Orchestra of the Republic of Bashkortostan for young musicians from cities and regions of Bashkortostan.

The understanding that music is one of the most important tools of patriotic education is an important factor in shaping the repertoire of the orchestra, which widely features the greatest works of Russian and Bashkir composers. In close cooperation with the Union of Composers of the Republic of Bashkortostan, work is underway to draw the attention of residents of the Republic to the legacy of recognized academic composers of Bashkortostan and to the work of modern Bashkir authors who have entered the repertoire of the orchestra along with outstanding works of world symphonic music.

The team successfully cooperates with the leading cultural institutions of Russia: The Moscow State Academic Philharmonic, the Tchaikovsky Moscow State Conservatory, the Mariinsky Theatre, the St. Petersburg State Academic Chapel, the Moscow International House of Music, the Russian Cultural Foundation, Rosconcert, and others.

One of the main areas of the orchestra’s development is the expansion of its creative geography: over the past five seasons, the orchestra has managed to significantly improve its level of performing skills and successfully present the team in the most famous concert halls.

In 2021, the orchestra performed at four leading concert venues in Russia — the P. I. Tchaikovsky Concert Hall, the S. Saidashev State Great Concert Hall in Kazan, the Great Hall of the D. D. Shostakovich in St. Petersburg Academic Philharmonic and the Great Hall of the Sverdlovsk State Academic Philharmonic.

In May 2022, the orchestra took part in the X International Open Arts Festival «Dedicated to Victory Day», presenting the world premiere of David Krivitsky’s «Military Cantata» on the stage of the Great Hall of the Moscow Conservatory.

In September 2022, for the first time in its history, the orchestra opened the 101st concert season of the Moscow State Academic Philharmonic on the stage of the P.I. Tchaikovsky Concert Hall together with People’s Artist of Russia Denis Matsuev, and also performed at the opening of the 5th International Ildar Abdrazakov Festival on the stage of the Great Hall of the Moscow State Conservatory named after P.I. Tchaikovsky.

In 2023, the orchestra took part in the project Music Festival «Denis Matsuev presents: Dialogue of Generations» for the 150th anniversary of S.V. Rachmaninoff, within the framework of which it performed 5 concert programs with pianist Denis Matsuev in Ufa and Orenburg.

In May 2023, as part of the subscription of the Moscow State Academic Philharmonic «Orchestras of Russia. Masterpieces of Russian Symphonic Music», the State Orchestra of the Republic of Bashkortostan successfully performed with the outstanding pianist Ekaterina Mechetina.

In June 2023, the orchestra performed at the opening of the VI All-Russian Music Festival «Born in Russia» on the stage of the Great Hall of the Moscow State Conservatory named after P.I. Tchaikovsky.

In August 2023, the orchestra presented the high art of the republic on Palace Square as part of the Days of Culture of Bashkortostan in St. Petersburg.

In October 2023, for the first time the orchestra performed in the Far East on the most famous stages of Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk, Vladivostok and Blagoveshchensk.

In 2024, the orchestra once again organized  the largest cultural events in Bashkortostan. For the second time, Ufa hosted the Music Festival «Denis Matsuev presents: Dialogue of Generations», which brought together outstanding musicians and new names on one stage. Under the auspices and on the initiative of the Head of the Republic of Bashkortostan, Radiy Khabirov, the II Music Festival «Romance of Autumn» was held for three days, within the framework of which such famous musicians as Denis Matsuev, Ildar and Askar Abdrazakov, Artur Naziullin, Zhenisbek Piyazov and others performed with the State Academic Symphony Orchestra of the Republic of Bashkortostan, and the festival was closed by the State Symphony Orchestra of Russia named after Evgeny Svetlanov under the direction of People’s Artist of the Republic of Bashkortostan Dmitry Kryukov. One of the largest open-air festivals in Russia gathered more than 65,000 guests on Sovetskaya Square and 6,000,000 viewers of the broadcast.

Among the highlights of 2024 were concerts with People’s Artist of Russia Denis Matsuev in the Great Hall of the Moscow Conservatory and, for the first time in the history of Bashkortostan’s culture, in the Concert Hall of the Mariinsky Theater in St. Petersburg, a concert in Ufa with outstanding cellist, People’s Artist of Russia Sergei Roldugin, the closing of the VII International Ildar Abdrazakov Festival, the III Republican Republican inclusive competition-festival «We Spread Our Wings!» and the holding of the VI Winter Festival of the State Orchestra of Bashkortostan dedicated to the 200th anniversary of Anton Bruckner at the end of the year.

The State Orchestra of the Republic of Bashkortostan following a competent assessment by the magazine «Musical Life» was named «Breakthrough of the Year — 2022», firmly entering the «golden orchestral elite of Russia», and in December 2023 received the Big Orchestral Prize «440 Hertz» in three nominations — «Discovery», «Best Accompanist» and «Soloists».