Theodor Currentzis is the exact opposite of strict academic conductors. A person with bright charisma and an unusual manner of communicating with the orchestra and the audience wins armies of fans and involves even those who were initially far from art into musical life.
The beginning of the biography: childhood and adolescence
Theodore was born in Athens in 1972. From a young age, the boy showed a talent for music, which was quite natural: at home it always sounded. The mother of the future conductor worked as vice-rector of the Athens Conservatory and played the piano beautifully. Household concerns developed the musical taste of Theo and his younger brother.
At the age of 4, the future conductor was sent to a music school, where he mastered the piano, and later the violin. By the way, my brother also followed his path, but chose a different career: he became a composer.
At the age of 15, Theodore graduated from the conservatory with a degree in string instruments, but decided to continue his education as a conductor. As a test, he put together a small orchestra performing chamber music. Currentzis himself selected compositions for the team and realized that it was this kind of work that fascinated him most of all.
The training was continued in Russia: the talented young man was admitted to the St. Petersburg Conservatory. Later, Theodor completed an internship in the Yuri Temirkanov's orchestra.
Creative way
Currentzis's career developed rapidly. After completing his studies, he worked with the collective of Vladimir Spivakov, the orchestra. Pyotr Tchaikovsky. As a guest conductor, Theodore took part in productions by Giuseppe Verdi at one of the Moscow theaters. With new teams, the young director toured Bulgaria, the USA and his native Greece, performed at festivals in Colmar, Bangkok, Miami, London.
The next significant stage was the appointment of the chief conductor and musical director of the Novosibirsk Opera and Ballet Theater. This time, Currentzis himself considers the beginning of the flourishing of his musical career. Under his leadership, a number of diverse performances were staged: "Dido and Aeneas" by Purcell (in concert), "Orpheus and Eurydice" by Gluck, "The Marriage of Figaro" by Mozart, "Don Giovanni", "Cinderella" by Rossini. Verdi's opera Aida (directed by Chernyakov), on which Currentzis worked as a stage director, was awarded the prestigious Golden Mask theater prize.
Among the conductor's personal achievements are the creation of the Music Aeterna collectives and the New Siberian Singers chamber choir. Under the guidance of Currentzis, she traveled around many cities and countries, invariably arousing the admiration of not only professionals, but also people far from academic art.
In 2011, Currentzis was appointed artistic director of the Perm Opera and Ballet Theater. There are plans for numerous tours, trips to festivals, performances of operas in different theaters around the world. The conductor's creative schedule is full. At the same time, he is constantly visited by new ideas.
Personal life
Theodore is always frank with journalists and does not hide the details of his personal life. He never married, but maintained a close relationship with Yulia Makhalina, a ballerina at the Mariinsky Theater. The union of two creative people was very bright, but after a while the young people broke up, upsetting their many fans.
Today Theodore is officially free. The media credits him with many novels, but the names of the chosen ones are not called.
