About
Nikolaj Znaider is one of the foremost violinists of today and combines a soloist career at the very highest level with a growing conducting career. A wonderfully versatile musician, Znaider has established his conductor credentials over the last several seasons, and is increasingly in demand from many of the world's leading orchestras.
Znaider is Principal Guest Conductor of the Mariinsky Orchestra in St. Petersburg where this season he will conduct productions of Così fan tutte and Don Giovanni in addition to symphonic concerts. From 15/16, Znaider will have his own subscription series with the Mariinsky each season.
He is a regular guest conductor with orchestras such as the Munich Philharmonic, the City of Birmingham Symphony, Pittsburgh Symphony, Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France, the Halle and the Swedish Chamber Orchestra where he served as Principal Guest conductor. Following a very successful debut conducting the Cleveland Orchestra last season, Znaider has been invited to return for a two week residency period during which he will both conduct the orchestra and play concerti conducted by Welser-Most. The 2014/2015 season includes conducting and soloist collaborations with the Staatskapelle Dresden at the Osterfestspiele Salzburg and his conducting debut with the NDR Hamburg. Znaider enjoys a very special relationship with the London Symphony Orchestra, an orchestra he conducts every season.
Last season Znaider was Artist in Residence with the Konzerthausorchester Berlin, where he conducted two symphonic programmes, and appeared in recitals, in chamber music and in concerto and in the 12/13 season, he was Resident Artist with the London Symphony Orchestra, playing concerti and conducting large-scale symphonic programmes in London and on tour.
As soloist, Znaider continues to perform regularly with the world's leading orchestras. Highlights of the coming season include performances with the Vienna Philharmonic, Bayerischer Rundfunk and Cleveland Orchestras with Franz Welser-Möst, a return to the Los Angeles Philharmonic with Andrey Boreyko, and the Staatskapelle Dresden with Christian Thielemann. In addition, Znaider undertakes European tours with both the SWR Sinfonieorchester under Stéphane Denève, and the Vienna Symphony Orchestra with Philippe Jordan, as well as a world tour with the Gewandhaus Orchestra and Ricardo Chailly, performing in Leipzig, Vienna, Houston, Washington, Boston and New York. In recital and chamber music, Znaider has appeared at all the major concert halls worldwide.
Recording highlights of recent years are his Elgar Violin Concerto in B minor, Op. 61 with the late Sir Colin Davis and the Staatskapelle Dresden, award winning recordings of the Brahms' Violin Concerto in D major, Op. 77 and Korngold's Violin Concerto in D major, Op. 35 with the Vienna Philharmonic and Valery Gergiev, the Beethoven Violin Concerto in D major, Op. 61 and Mendelssohn's Violin Concerto in E minor, Op. 64 with Zubin Mehta and the Israel Philharmonic and Prokofiev's Violin Concerto No. 2 in G minor, Op. 63 together with Glazunov's Violin Concerto in A minor, Op. 82 with Mariss Jansons and the Bayerischer Rundfunk. He has also recorded the complete works for violin and piano of Johannes Brahms with Yefim Bronfman.