Bolshoi Announces New Music Director

At a press conference today in the main foyer of the historical Bolshoi Theater, General Director Vladimir Urin introduced Tugan Sokhiev as the company's new music director and chief conductor, effective Feb. 1 through 2018. He succeeds Vassily Sinaisky, who resigned last month within two weeks of the opening of Don Carlo. "My resignation is the result of four months of watching and working with Mr. Urin.... And at some point it became not interesting and unbearable." He declined to be specific. The 36-year-old Sokhiev, a Gergiev protégé, is one of the bright new stars of the opera and symphonic worlds. He is already principal conductor and artistic director of the Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin (since 2012), as well as music director of the Orchestre National du Capitole de Toulouse (since 2008), and has guested on high-profile podiums from the Berlin Philharmonic to La Scala and the Met Opera.