The Final Concert is a fascinating journey. It begins with Prince Igor as the prisoner of the Polvcy nomads in Alexander Borodin′s (a teacher of chemistry at the Academy of Medicine in San Pietroburgo and a musician for pleasure) Polovian Dances , continues in Pyotr Il´ič Tchaikovsky′s Romeo and Juliet , with the famous Love Theme entrusted to the English horn, and concludes with Symphony no. 5, triumphantly received from composers such as Grieg and Dvořák despite the composer′s stated pessimism. The Orchestre National du Capitole de Toulouse, among the world′s leading symphonic ensembles, led by permanent conductor Tugan Sokhiev, enhances the power of the two celebrated Russian composers.

TUGAN SOKHIEV

Tugan Sokhiev is the music director of the Orchestre National du Capitole de Toulouse (ONCT), after three seasons from principal guest conductor. He is also acting music director of the Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester in Berlin of which, as of 2012, he will take over as music director for the 2012 - 2013 season, maintaining his position to Toulouse until 2016. to Toulouse the relationship between Sokhiev and his musicians has been the subject of much attention from by the national press: Le Figaro describes this partnership as "central to French musical life," and Le Monde, after a recent concert to Paris, speaks of "sokhiev-mania." The announcement of his Berlin assignment in fall 2010 was greeted with enthusiasm by musicians and the media. Sokhiev also collaborates with the Marinsky Theater and is in demand at the world′s leading musical institutions. His 2011/2012 schedule includes collaborations with the Berliner Philharmoniker, the Finnish Radio Orchestra, the Philharmonia Orchestra, the Sydney Symphony and a debut with the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra, as well as to tours with ONCT in Germany, South America and Britain. For opera, he will conduct Tosca at the Théâtre du Capitole and Boris Godunov at the National Theater atOpera in Vienna. His recent collaborations with the Vienna Philharmonic were critically acclaimed and to following his performance with the Berliner Philharmoniker critics hailed him as a miracle conductor(dirigentenwunderwaffe). His numerous concerts and tours in Europe with the Philharmonia Orchestra and the Mahler Chamber Orchestra have been highly successful. He is scheduled to return with the Vienna Philharmonic, Philharmonia Orchestra, Rotterdam Philharmonic and to make his debut at the Gewandhaus Leipzig and with the Chicago Symphony, as well as to projects with DSO Berlin and ONCT. He has also been invited by the following institutions: Orquesta Nacional de España, Arturo Toscanini Foundation, Philharmonic Orchestra of Russia, NHK Symphony, Rotterdam Philharmonic, OSN RAI in Turin, Filarmonica della Scala in Milan, Bournemouth Symphony, Bayerische Staatsoper to Munich, Strasbourg, Montpellier, Frankfurt, Swedish Radio, Vienna Radio, Frankfurt Radio Symphony, Sydney Symphony, Oslo Philharmonic, Royal Concertgebouw in Amsterdam, Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France and Orchestre National de France. In 2005 the French Critics′ Union called him "musical revelation of the year" for his performance with the CONCT at the Théâtre des Champs-Elysées. With the CONCT he has conducted numerous concerts in France, Germany, Austria, Croatia, Spain, China, Japan, and Russia. His discography with Toulouse, published from Naïve Classique, includes such important recordings as Tchaikovsky′s Symphony No. 4 , Musorgsky′s Pictures of an Exhibition and Prokof′ev′s Peter and the Wolf, Prokof′ev′s Violin Concerto No. 2 and Rachmaninov′s Symphonic Dances, Shostakovich′sFestive Overture, and Tchaikovsky′s Symphony No. 5 .

In Britain he made his debut in 2002, at the Welsh National Opera Festival, with La Bohème; in 2003 at the Metropolitan Opera Company in New York with Eugene Onegin; highly acclaimed in 2004 his first performance of L′amore delle tre melarance at the Aix-en-Provence Festival, followed from by other successes in Luxembourg, Madrid (Teatro Real) and Houston with Boris Godunov. He recently directed The Golden Rooster, Iolanta, Samson et Dalila, The Fiery Angel, Carmen at the Mariinsky Theater; The Lady of Spades, Iolanta, Tosca at the Théâtre du Capitole.

ORCHESTRE NATIONAL DU CAPITOLE DE TOULOUSE

Created in the early 19th century for theopera seasons of the Théâtre du Capitole, since 1945 the Orchestre du Capitole de Toulouse has been an important symphony orchestra, conducted from André Cluytens and from Georges Prêtre. The arrival of Michel Plasson in 1968 considerably contributed to the development of the symphonic vocation of the ensemble, which has inaugurated numerous foreign tours and produced an important record series with Emi France. The orchestra′s staff, strengthened in the musical renewal plan launched from Marcel Landowski, currently numbers 104 professors. In 1980, the Minister of Culture awarded the Toulouse ensemble the title of National Orchestra. In 2003 Plasson left the directorship of the Orchestre National du Capitole, becoming its honorary conductor. L′Orchestre National du Capitole is the protagonist of the symphonic season to l′Halle aux Grains in Toulouse and supports the opera and ballet season of the Théâtre du Capitole; holds numerous decentralized concerts to regional level, has been a regular guest at many festivals (Piano aux Jacobins, Chorégies d′Orange, Nuits de Fourvière, Présences de Radio France...), and has recorded with the most prestigious artists. Among the latest recordings with Michel Plasson, Carmen (with Angela Gheorghiu and Roberto Alagna) received the "Victoire de la Musique Classique" in 2004. In 2008, the orchestra received a "Victoire d′honneur" at the 15th Victoires de la musique classique.

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