BIOGRAPHY
Ivan Nikiforchin was born in 1995 in Moscow. He studied music at the Tchaikovsky Moscow
State Conservatory and at the Moscow Conservatory Postgraduate School under Professors
Valery Polyansky (opera and symphony conducting) and Yuri Abdokov (composition,
orchestration and the history of orchestral styles). Nikiforchin participates in master classes
given by Yuri Temirkanov, Vasily Petrenko and others.
Since 2024 Nikiforchin has been appointed Artistic Director of the Moscow Moscow State Symphony Orchestra (“MSSO”).
Ivan Nikiforchin is the founder, Artistic Director and Chief Conductor of the Academy of Russian Music, which combines a symphony orchestra and a choir. According to Russian and foreign critics “ARM” is one of the most outstanding chamber orchestral and choral ensembles of modern Russia. ARM's main concert stages include the Bolshoi, Maly and Rachmaninoff Halls of the Moscow Conservatory, the Moscow International House of Music and others.
State Conservatory and at the Moscow Conservatory Postgraduate School under Professors
Valery Polyansky (opera and symphony conducting) and Yuri Abdokov (composition,
orchestration and the history of orchestral styles). Nikiforchin participates in master classes
given by Yuri Temirkanov, Vasily Petrenko and others.
Since 2024 Nikiforchin has been appointed Artistic Director of the Moscow Moscow State Symphony Orchestra (“MSSO”).
Ivan Nikiforchin is the founder, Artistic Director and Chief Conductor of the Academy of Russian Music, which combines a symphony orchestra and a choir. According to Russian and foreign critics “ARM” is one of the most outstanding chamber orchestral and choral ensembles of modern Russia. ARM's main concert stages include the Bolshoi, Maly and Rachmaninoff Halls of the Moscow Conservatory, the Moscow International House of Music and others.
The repertoire of the conductor, orchestra and choir includes works from a wide historical and stylistic spectrum: from C. Monteverdi, G. Schütz, Johann Sebastian Bach, G. I. von Biber, G. Purcell, W. Mozart, E. Megühl, L. Beethoven to E. Elgar, H. Mahler, A. Schoenberg, G. Holst, B. Britten, O. Messiaen and others. Under the direction of Ivan Nikiforchin, the Academy of Russian Music has given Russian premieres of orchestral scores by O. Respighi, P. Hindemith, W. Lutoslawski, G. Finzi and others. Orchestral works by leading Russian composers of the twentieth and twenty-first centuries such as Nikolai Myaskovsky, Dmitry Shostakovich, Boris Tchaikovsky, Nikolai Peiko, German Galynin, Moisey Weinberg, Revol Bunin, Gavriil Popov, Galina Ustvolskaya, Yuri Abdokov, as well as virtually all chamber orchestral transcriptions by Rudolf Barshai, occupy a central place in the repertoire of ARM.
Ivan Nikiforchin actively cooperates with Yuri Abdokov's Terra Musica International Creative Workshop (Russia-Germany-Italy) and The Boris Tchaikovsky Society, under the auspices of which he has realized a number of high-profile projects: the first world recordings of all chamber orchestral scores and string-and-music ensembles by G. Galynin and the first recording of the A. Liadov’s complete choral works (both for the British company Toccata-Classics. London). He made the world premiere of Moses Weinberg's Suite for Symphony Orchestra Op. 26. For the first time since R. Barshai's concerts of the 60s and 70s of the last century he has performed many chamber orchestral scores by N. Peiko, R. Bunin, M. Weinberg, A. Lokshin, A. Volkonsky and others.
Directs the orchestral subscription The Great Pages of Russian Music of the 20th Century at the
Moscow International House of Music.
Nikiforchin is a guest conductor of the Bolshoi Theater of Russia.
Since 2022 Nikiforchin has been teaching opera and symphony conducting at the Tchaikovsky Moscow State Conservatory.
Directs the orchestral subscription The Great Pages of Russian Music of the 20th Century at the
Moscow International House of Music.
Nikiforchin is a guest conductor of the Bolshoi Theater of Russia.
Since 2022 Nikiforchin has been teaching opera and symphony conducting at the Tchaikovsky Moscow State Conservatory.
Conductor-director of the opera-drama performance of Ostrovsky's spring fairy tale “The Snow Maiden” to music by P. Tchaikovsky at the Bolshoi Theater of Russia (co-production with the Maly Theater of Russia) (2024).
Conductor-director of Tchaikovsky's ballet The Nutcracker at the Stanislavsky and Nemirovich-
Directs the orchestral subscription The Great Pages of Russian Music of the 20th Century at the
Moscow International House of Music.
Danchenko Theater (2022).
Nikiforchin performs with leading orchestral ensembles of the country, including the National Philharmonic Orchestra of Russia, the State Academic Symphony Orchestra of Russia, the Tchaikovsky Grand Symphony Orchestra, the Mariinsky Theater Symphony Orchestra, the Bolshoi Theater Symphony Orchestra, the State Chamber Orchestra “Moscow Virtuoses”, the Moscow State Symphony Orchestra, New Russia State Symphony Orchestra, Tatarstan State Symphony Orchestra, etc.
Conductor-director of Tchaikovsky's ballet The Nutcracker at the Stanislavsky and Nemirovich-
Directs the orchestral subscription The Great Pages of Russian Music of the 20th Century at the
Moscow International House of Music.
Danchenko Theater (2022).
Nikiforchin performs with leading orchestral ensembles of the country, including the National Philharmonic Orchestra of Russia, the State Academic Symphony Orchestra of Russia, the Tchaikovsky Grand Symphony Orchestra, the Mariinsky Theater Symphony Orchestra, the Bolshoi Theater Symphony Orchestra, the State Chamber Orchestra “Moscow Virtuoses”, the Moscow State Symphony Orchestra, New Russia State Symphony Orchestra, Tatarstan State Symphony Orchestra, etc.
Laureate of the First International Competition for Pianists, Composers and Conductors named after S. Rachmaninov (2nd prize and Silver Medal; 2022).
Laureate of the Boris Tchaikovsky International Prize (for outstanding interpretations of Russian chamber- orchestral music of the twentieth century; 2019).
Grand Prix at the Khondzinsky's Magnum Opus International Festival of Contemporary Art (for the world premiere of M. Weinberg's Suite for Symphony Orchestra; 2021).
“Disc of the Year” at Music Web International (for the first anthology of chamber orchestral scores by G. Galynin; 2020).
“Disc of the Year” at Music Web International (for the first choral anthology by A.K. Lyadov; 2021).
Laureate of the “Pure Sound” International Awards for the best audio recordings of works of Russian academic music (1st prize - for the anthology of chamber-orchestral scores by G. Galynin; 2nd prize - for the complete collection of choral works by A. Lyadov; 2021).
The critic William Kempster on the first world recording of all Lyadov's choral opuses, performed by I. Nikiforchin:
“It really is remarkable that every piece bar one on this new disc of the Complete Original Choral Works of Anatoly Lyadov is a world premiere recording. How often can one say that for music that is over a century old by an undoubtedly significant composer? It gets better too, as the music itself is generally outstanding, and the performances here by the Academy of Russian Music Chamber Choir are quite superlative. Choral singing doesn’t really get any better than this, and the recording itself is also of demonstration quality. … there is undoubtedly enough that is very substantial, and of very high quality, to mark this disc as one of the most significant new choral recordings in some time. … This is a fabulous disc which deserves to be hugely successful, and I recommend it unreservedly to anyone interested in choral music, in Russian music, or in music in general.”
(«Fanfare», № 45:4)