Pavel Sorokin

Pavel Sorokin was born in Moscow into a family of Bolshoi Theatre artists — the singer Tamara Sorokina and the dancer Shamil Yagudin. In 1985, he completed his studies with distinction at the Piano Department of the Moscow State Tchaikovsky Conservatoire, and in 1989, also with distinction, he graduated from the Conservatoire’s Department of Opera and Symphony Conducting.
In 1983, Pavel Sorokin joined the Bolshoi Theatre as a ballet accompanist. In 1987–1989, he was a probationer at the Paris Conservatoire, perfecting his conducting skills. He worked on probation with the Boston Symphony Orchestra under the leadership of Seiji Ozawa and Leonard Bernstein. At the end of his term as probationer, he was auditioned and accepted into the Bolshoi Theatre. In 1996, he was an assistant to Mstislav Rostropovich when the latter directed a production of Mussorgsky’s Khovanshchina (Shostakovich version) at the Bolshoi.
At the Bolshoi Theatre, he was a musical director of the following productions: Tchaikovsky’s Iolanta (1997), Stravinsky’s Petroushka (1991), Adam’s Le Corsaire (1992, 1994), Prokofiev’s Prodigal Son (1992), Løvenskiold’s La Sylphide (1994), Tchaikovsky’s Swan Lake, Arik Melikov’s Legend of Love (2002, 2014), Glazunov’s Raymonda (2003), Shostakovich’s Bright Stream (2003) and Bolt (2005), Asafiev’s Flames of Paris (2008), Jewels to music by Gabriel Fauré, Igor Stravinsky, and Pyotr Tchaikovsky (2012), Classical Symphony to music by Sergei Prokofiev (2012), Dream of Dream to music by Sergei Rachmaninov (2012), Stravinsky’s Apollon Musagète (2012), Minkus’ La Bayadere (2013), Onegin to music by Pyotr Tchaikovsky (2013), Lady of the Camellias to music by Frédéric Chopin (2014). At the present time, at the Bolshoi Theatre he also conducts Mussorgsky’s Boris Godunov, Adam’s Giselle, Ivan the Terrible to music by Sergei Prokofiev, Bizet — Shchedrin’s Carmen Suite, Delibes’ Coppelia, Khachaturian’s Spartacus, Tchaikovsky’s Sleeping Beauty, Chopiniana set to music by Chopin, and Tchaikovsky’s Nutcracker.
The conductor’s répertoire also includes Ivan Susanin by Glinka, The Oprichnik, The Maid of Orlenas, Eugene Onegin, and The Queen of Spades by Tchaikovsky, Prince Igor by Borodin, Khovanshchina by Mussorgsky (Rimsky-Korsakov’s version), The Tsar’s Bride, Mozart and Salieri, and The Golden Cockerel by Rimsky-Korsakov, Francesca da Rimini by Rachmaninov, Betrothal in a Monastery and The Gambler by Prokofiev, Il barbiere di Siviglia by Rossini, La traviata, Un ballo in maschera, and Macbeth by Verdi, The Golden Age by Shostakovich, Sketches by Schnittke, and symphonic works.
From 2000–2002, Pavel Sorokin was chief conductor of the Radio and Television State Symphony Orchestra. From 2003–2007, he was chief conductor of the Symphony Orchestra of Russia. From 2007, he has been a guest conductor at the Royal Opera House Covent Garden.
The conductor’s discography includes recordings of the works of Tchaikovsky, Rachmaninov and Grieg made with the Moscow State Philharmonia’s Academic Symphony Orchestra and the Radio and Television State Symphony Orchestra. In 2014 he recorded The Nutcracker — Essential Highlights CD with Queensland Symphony Orchestra (Australia).

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