Alexander Vakoulsky

“Alexander Vakoulsky is a striking, talented conductor. He is an excellent musician and has an extremely broad repertoire. I have no hesitation in recommending him to conduct the world’s leading orchestras.” Evgeny Svetlanov

Alexander Vakoulsky is considered as one of the most gifted Russian conductors of his generation. He graduated from the famous St. Petersburg Conservatory and was strongly influenced by Evgeny Mravinsky and Evgeny Svetlanov, the two great maestros under whom he studied. 

In 1976, he moved from Russia to Holland where he was selected to take part to the international master classes for young conductors organized by the Deutsch Radio Corporation under Edward Downs and Kirill Kondrashine. After that, Maestro Ferdinand Leitner (chief conductor of the Opernhaus Zürich and the Residentie Orkest Holland) invited Alexander Vakoulsky to work with him. Shortly, he became the Principal Conductor of the National Youth Orchestra and the Principal Conductor of the Amsterdam Symphony Orchestra for twenty-three years. He toured frequently around the world with both orchestras. In 2009, Alexander Vakoulsky was appointed Honorary President of the Amsterdam Symphony Orchestra.

Alexander Vakoulsky, by personal invitation of Evgeny Svetlanov, started his collaboration with the USSR State Symphony Orchestra. Since 1993, he conducted this prestigious orchestra for 10 years as guest conductor and made many radio recordings, including Dvorak’s symphonies and works by Debussy, Ravel, Respighi and Schumann. As proof of his work, he was awarded the « State Prize » of the Russian Federation. 

Besides his engagements in Holland and Russia, Alexander Vakoulsky conducted with great success many orchestras, especially French ones, such as Saint Petersburg Philharmonic Orchestra, Moscow Philharmonic Orchestra, Residentie Orkest Holland, Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France, Orchestre de chambre de Paris, Orchestre National de Lille, Orchestre National de Montpellier, Orchestre Philharmonique de Strasbourg… He is also working with prestigious musicians and performed with Evgeny Kissin, Yefim Bronfman, Vadim Repin, Victor Lieberman, Boris Berezovsky, Andreï Korobeinikov, Henri Demarquette, Plamena Mangova and Alexander Kniazev.

In 2010, Alexander Vakoulsky was invited to perform Verdi’s Aida at the Stade de France in front of 55 000 people.

For the next seasons, Maestro Vakoulsky is invited to conduct tours in Russia, Brazil, Denmark and France. 

Alexander Vakoulsky was member of the jury of the Svetlanov International Conducting Competition.