11 Facts About Tugan Sokhiev

Tugan Taymurazovich Sokhiev is a Russian conductor.

Tugan Sokhiev first conducted at age 17, inspired by Anatoly Briskin, the conductor of the North Ossetia State Philharmonic Orchestra.

Tugan Sokhiev subsequently attended the Saint Petersburg Conservatory, where he was one of the last students of Ilya Musin before the latter's death in 1999.

Tugan Sokhiev's initial conducting work with WNO as music director was in revivals of Don Giovanni, Cavalleria rusticana and Pagliacci.

Tugan Sokhiev was in charge of the Russian Series for WNO which contained works by many famous Russian composers.

Reports indicated a decline in morale among the WNO orchestra and chorus, and questions about whether Tugan Sokhiev was too young and inexperienced for the post.

In 2005, Tugan Sokhiev became principal guest conductor and musical adviser with the Orchestre national du Capitole de Toulouse.

Tugan Sokhiev received the accolade 'Revelation musicale de l'annee' from the French Critics' Union in 2005, after a Paris performance with the Capitole de Toulouse orchestra.

In September 2010, Tugan Sokhiev was named principal conductor and artistic director of the Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin, effective in 2012, with an initial contract of 4 years.

Tugan Sokhiev took the title of principal conductor designate with immediate effect.

On 6 March 2022, Tugan Sokhiev resigned as both music director of the Bolshoi Theatre and music director of the Orchestre national du Capitole de Toulouse, citing pressure to make a public statement regarding the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine.