Teodor Currentzis: biography and personal life of the famous conductor

2024 Author: Henry Conors | [email protected]. Last modified: 2024-02-12 02:55

The bright and unusual conductor Teodor Currentzis attracts the attention of the audience and the press not only with his creative finds, but also with his unusual personality. Wherever he appears, the attention of the public and journalists is guaranteed to him. He also builds his life according to the laws of the theater - dynamically, with unexpected turns and extravagant actions.

Greek childhood

On February 24, 1972, a boy was born in Athens.

Finding a profession in Greece Teodor Currentzis. His biography will be connected with music from the very beginning. From the age of four, the child learned to play the piano, later he went to violin lessons. Everyone in his family loved music, his mother took him to the opera from an early age and he grew up listening to classical music, his mother started every morning by playing the piano. A big role in choosing a future occupation in life was played by my mother, who herself professionally played several musical instruments and later became vice-rector of the Athens Conservatory. Theodore's younger brother also becamemusician, he writes music and lives in Prague.

It can be said that Teodor Currentzis is a child prodigy, at the age of 15 he already graduated from the theoretical department of the Athens Conservatory, and a year later - the faculty of string instruments. After that, he began to take vocal lessons at the Greek Conservatory. In 1990 he created his first chamber orchestra, which he conducted for four years. By this time, Teodor Currentzis realized that he needed to reach a new professional level and decided to continue studying.

Study in St. Petersburg

In 1994, Teodor Currentzis arrived in St. Petersburg and entered the class of Ilya Musin at the St. Petersburg Conservatory. The conductor always speaks of Musina with a special intonation, he claims that everything he has achieved to date is the merit of the teacher. He shaped the musician as a person and as a conductor. Theodore was very interested in Russian music, read a lot, listened, researched and dreamed of working in Russia. Even during his studies, he managed to undergo an internship in the orchestra conducted by Yuri Temirkanov, he also participates in the work of the leading orchestras of St. Petersburg: the Mariinsky Theater, the Philharmonic, the Symphony Orchestra. This experience was a high start for the new conductor.

Creative path

After graduating from the conservatory, Teodor Currentzis actively joins the musical life of Russia. He collaborates with the Moscow Virtuosos by Vladimir Spivakov, with the Russian National Orchestra, with which he participates in a large tour of the United States, with the Grand Symphony Orchestrathem. P. I. Tchaikovsky, with the orchestra. E. Svetlanova. With bands from Greece, USA, Bulgaria.

Teodor Currentzis collaborates a lot and fruitfully with the Moscow theater "Helikon-Opera", in which he conducts two productions of G. Verdi.

The history of Teodor Currentzis participation in various festivals is also rich. They conquered Moscow, Colmar, Bangkok, London, Miami.

For 20 years of his creative activity, Teodor Currentzis has played with different orchestras of the world more than 30 greatest musical works, among which there is a lot of music by Russian classics, works of the Baroque and Renaissance periods, as well as works by contemporary authors.

Since 2009 he has been a permanent guest conductor of the Bolshoi Theatre.

Since 2011, Teodor Currentzis has become the chief conductor of the Perm Opera and Ballet Theatre.

Music of Siberia

In 2003, Teodor Currentzis was invited to Novosibirsk, where he staged the ballet "Kiss of the Fairy" by I. Stravinsky, then the opera "Aida" in collaboration with D. Chernyakov, this performance became a notable event not only in the Siberian musical life, but also on the entire Russian stage. Since 2004, Teodor Currentzis has been the chief conductor of the Novosibirsk Opera and Ballet Theatre. For seven years of cooperation with the theater, he directs concert performances of such works as Le nozze di Figaro, Don Giovanni, F. A. Mozart, "Dido and Aeneas" by G. Purcell, "Cinderella" by G. Rossinni, "Orpheus and Eurydice" by K. V. Gluck. Works as a conductor in opera productions of The Marriage of Figaro and The LadyMacbeth of the Mtsensk district.”

During this period, as part of his interest in the authentic performance of musical works, Teodor Currentzis creates the Musica Aeterna Ensemble, which specializes in historical performance of music, and the New Siberian Singers Chamber Choir, which have become widely known in Russia and abroad.

Achievements and awards

The bright life of the conductor Teodor Currentzis has repeatedly been decorated with well-deserved awards. So, he received the Golden Mask five times, is a laureate of the Stroganov Prize. His work has received numerous awards and prizes at music festivals around the world.

In 2008 he was awarded the Order of Friendship.

Teodor Currentzis: personal life and family

Bright and famous people are always interested in people and the media. Teodor Currentzis, whose personal life is under scrutiny, is no exception. The conductor, however, does not feel uncomfortable and often communicates with the press with pleasure, talking about his creative plans and his views on music. But the question of whether Teodor Currentzis is married or not always remains unanswered. Although many ladies are waiting for him with spiritual awe, because the musician embodies the ideals of many women: rich, famous, handsome. So is Teodor Currentzis free? He had a wife, and this is reliably known. Even at the dawn of his life in Russia, he was conquered by a ballerina of the Mariinsky Theater. Teodor Currentzis + Yulia Makhalina - the duet has become a notable phenomenon incultural life of St. Petersburg.

The ballerina spent a lot of effort to promote her husband up the career ladder, he owes her many high acquaintances that were useful to him in the future. By the time she met the conductor, Julia was already a star, she was actively promoted by the choreographer O. M. Vinogradov, and she could say a word in support of the beginning musician. The marriage was short-lived. Is Teodor Currentzis married today? The personal is a taboo subject for him, although rumors ascribe many novels to him.

Civil position

The conductor leads an active creative life, but at the same time his private life is full of events. In 2014, he became a Russian citizen, claiming to have found a second home here. Conductor Teodor Currentzis, whose personal life is now connected with Russia, is actively involved in the musical and social life of the country, so he was one of those who supported the dismissed director of the Novosibirsk Opera and Ballet Theater. He always stands for the freedom of artistic expression of the artist and is an active fighter against censorship and restrictions.

In his free time, Teodor Currentzis reads a lot, listens to recordings of outstanding orchestras and a lot of non-classical music, but says that he has completely stopped going to concerts - this interferes with his inner search. He believes that today music has become too academic and this prevents young people from perceiving it, so his goal is to bring it closer to the listener, removing the barriers of academicism. He dreams of a revolution in music and does everything to keep it alive.