Yevgeni Mravinsky

Yeveni (Evgeni) Aleksandrovich Mravinsky was born on June 4, 1903, in St. Petersburg, Russia. his father, named Aleksandr Konstantinovich Mravinsky, belonged to the Russian Nobility and was a General to the Tsar Nicholas II. His mother, named Elizaveta Nikolaevna (nee Filkova), belonged to the landed Russian Gentry. The family was trilingual. Young Mravinsky received an excellent private education. From the age of 18 to 26 he was a concert-master pianist at the Vaganova Ballet school and an actor at the Mariinsky Opera House. He studied natural sciences at the St. Petersburg University for one year.

In 1924 he was admitted to the St. Petersburg Conservatory.

There he studied piano, composition, and conducting under Aleksandr Gauk, and graduated in 1931, as composer and conductor.

In 1932 Mravinsky made his conducting debut at the Mariinsky Theatre with the 'Sleeping Beauty' ballet by 'Pyotr Tchaikovsky'.

In 1935 he took part in the Leningrad Festival of Arts.

In 1937 Mravinsky opened the new concert season at the Leningrad Philharmonia, and premiered the Symphony No. 5 by Dmitri Shostakovich.

In 1938 Mravinsky won the Natinal competition of conductors and was appointed the Artistic Director of the Leningrad Philharmonia.

In may of 1940 Mravinsky conducted the Leningrad Philharmonic Orchestra in Moscow and made a sensation. Moscow critics recognized the Leningrad Philharmonic the best symphony orchestra in the Societ Union.

Such status was indisputable from 1940-1988 under the leadership of Yevgeni Mravinsky. During the Nazi siege of Leningrad in the Second World War Mravinsky evacuated the entire symphony orchestra of 100+ musicians with families to the Siberian city of Novosibirsk.

From 1941-1944 Leningrad Philharmonic Orchestra lived and worked in Siberia. Their music helped the Russian people in their struggle to survive through the hardships of the war. In addition to the regular season concerts in Novosibirsk the Leningrad Philharmonic Orchestra gave 56 concerts in other cities of Siberia and Central Asia, including Tashkent, Fergana, Omsk, Tomsk, Barnaul, Kemerovo, and other cities. Mravinsky was also instrumental in providing supplies and food for his musicians during the hard times in the Second World War. The Leningrad Philharmonic musicians founded the Novosibirsk Opera House and a Symphony orchestra in that Siberian city during the war. After the end of the siege Mravinsky brought the Philharmonic Orchestra back in Leningrad.

He renewed the Leningrad Philharmonic seasons in the fall of 1945.

In 1946 Mravinsky was awarded the State Prize of the USSR and received the title of the Honorable Artist of Russia. He continued collaboration with Dmitri Shostakovich, Sergei Prokofiev, Aram Khachaturyan, and also premiered symphonies by many other composers. Mravinsky took the Leningrad Philharmonic Orchestra on international tours to more than 40 countries across the world. Everyone who heard the live performances of the Leningrad Philharmonic Orchestra under the baton of Yevgeni Mravinsky remember the lasting ennobling impression. Mravinsky was famous for creating the special "Leningrad" sound and ambiance. He made the orchestra sound solid, powerful and transparent, giving great attention to the clarity of every single instrument. Mravinsky's live performances as well as his recordings of symphonies by Dmitri Shostakovich were considered definitive by the composer himself. Yevgeni Mravinsky was the Honorable Member of the Vienna Music Society, the People's Artist of the USSR, the Laureat of the State prize of the USSR (twice), and was decorated for his lifetime achievement.