Dmitry Kitajenko

Russian conductor Dmitry Kitajenko (or Kitaenko), studied at the Glinka Conservatory in Leningrad and then at the Leningrad Conservatory and the Moscow Conservatory where he continued post graduate studies with Professor Lev Ginsburg.He later moved to the Vienna Academy of Music where he studied conducting with Hans Swarowsky and with Karl Osterreicher.

In 1969 Dmitri Kitajenko won the first International Herbert von Karajan Foundation Competition in Berlin.

Upon his return to Moscow, Dmitri Kitajenko became a conductor at the Nemirovich-Danchenko Music Theater; and in 1970, when he was only 29 years old, he became Chief Conductor there. He also began conducting the leading Russian orchestras and soon became a regular conductor at the Bolshoi. He also appeared as a guest conductor in Western Europe, usually in programs of Russian music, and led important operatic productions in Brussels, Vienna, and Munich.

Kitajenko made concert appearances with the best symphony orchestras of the world, including the Vienna Philharmonic, Berlin Philharmonic, Leipzig Gewandhaus, Prague Philharmonic and Philadelphia Orchestras.

In 1976 Dmitri Kitajenko was appointed chief conductor of the Moscow Philharmonic Orchestra, succeeding Kirill Kondrashin. During his 14-year tenure, the Moscow Philharmonic Orchestra has grown into one of the best orchestras of the world. They have toured many major music venues in Europe, USA and Japan, including such prestigious musical festivals as Salzburg, Edinburgh and Schleswig-Holstein Music Festivals. His recordings with this orchestra include the complete symphonies of Prokofiev, and various works by Dmitri Shostakovich, Sergei Rachmaninov, and, surprisingly, Gershwin.

In 1990 Dmitri Kitajenko left the Soviet Union for Western Europe, taking three conducting posts concurrently, the Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra in Norway, one of the oldest European orchestras with enormous classical traditions (1990-1998), the Frankfurt Radio Symphony Orchestra (HR-Sinfonieorchester) (1990-1996), and the Bern Symphony Orchestra in Switzerland (1991-2004). Under his leadership, these orchestras have toured throughout the USA, South America, Japan and Europe. He also served as Music Director of the Bern City Theater (from 1994), and as principal conductor of the Moscow Opera Theater. After 1998, Kitajenko regularly began appearing as a guest conductor in Europe, Japan, and the USA.

Besides his concert and recording activities, Dmitri Kitajenko has dedicated himself again and again to supporting young and upcoming artists.