The Symphony Orchestra of the Belarusian State Academy of Music has always occupied a special place in the creative life of the Education Institution. On its basis, a huge number of musicians underwent professional training, who annually replenished and continue to replenish orchestral groups in Belarus and foreign countries.
At different times, the Orchestra was led by talented conductors P.Kirilchenko, V.Mnatsakanov, A.Lapunov, N.Kolyadko, P.Vandilovsky, M.Anisimov, A.Galanov, V.Ovodok and others. From 1992 to October 2012, the Ensemble “Young Belarus” was led by People’s Artist of Belarus, Professor Mikhail Kozinets. The musical priorities and creative credo of the conductor can be judged by the works that make up the Orchestra’s repertoire: masses and oratorios by I.S.Bach, symphonic works by V.A.Mozart, L.Beethoven, J.Brahms, C.Frank, G.Berlioz, C.Debussy, M.Ravel, J.Bizet, G.Rossini, I.Strauss; Russian classics is represented by the works of P.Tchaikovsky, M.Mussorgsky, A.Borodina, S.Rachmaninov, D.Shostakovich, S.Prokofiev. Musical premieres widely feature works by Belarusian authors: A.Bogatyreva, E.Glebova, D.Smolsky, A.Mdivani, G.Gorelova, V.Kuryan and A.Litvinovsky. The Orchestra toured in various cities of Italy and Belgium, and was enthusiastically received on the island of Reunion (prefecture of France).
Since 1994, the Orchestra has regularly performed at music festivals in France (Summer of the Great Garden), Germany (New Year’s Musical Evenings and the Wagner Festival). The Orchestra gives an annual series of concerts in the hall of the Belarusian State Philharmonic Society in Minsk and in various cities of Belarus – Brest, Gomel, Mogilev, Molodechno, Vileika. The Orchestra’s collaboration with musicians from Germany, France, Russia, and Turkey has been fruitful and interesting: conductors Georg Mays (Germany), Jean-Marie Cannon (France), performers Arkady Volodos (baritone), Francois Chateau (flute), Philippe Berrot (clarinet), Hugo Leclerc (piano), etc. Teachers and students of the Academy of Music performed with the Orchestra: People’s Artist of Belarus I.Olovnikov, Professor V.Shatsky, laureates of international competitions A.Ponochevny, A.Sikorsky, K.Krasnitsky, L.Yanpolskaya, etc.
Since October 1, 2012, the Orchestra has been led by People’s Artist of Belarus, Professor Alexander Anisimov. The Orchestra gave a number of concerts in Belarus and abroad: for example, on September 19, 2013, it performed in the Great Hall of the P.Tchaikovsky Moscow State Conservatory within the framework of the project “Parade of symphony orchestras of conservatories of the CIS member states for the 150th anniversary of the P.Tchaikovsky Moscow State Conservatory.
Since September 2015, the Orchestra has been headed by Andrei Ivanov, conductor of the National Academic Bolshoi Opera and Ballet Theater of the Republic of Belarus. The Orchestra actively performs in major projects, for example, on October 17, 2017 in Paris as part of the international project “Cultural Diplomacy. Youth Musical Bridges: Belarus and France. To the 500th Anniversary of Belarusian Printing”. In October-November 2017, conductor Andrei Ivanov and students participated in master classes and tours of the Belarusian-Russian Youth Symphony Orchestra in Moscow and Minsk.
Today the Orchestra is led by a young talented conductor Vitaly Grishchenko.
