Dmitry Liss

Dmitry Liss is an absolutely magical conductor. The audience was magnetised by his baton. La Liberté

With energy and musicality, Dmitry Liss astounds audiences not only in Russia, where he is one of the most important conductors today, but also worldwide. As principal conductor of the Ural Philharmonic Orchestra (UPO) and the Philharmonie Zuidnederland, his indelible creative mark is evident in his development of both orchestras.

Dmitry Liss has been Artistic Director and Chief Conductor of the UPO since 1995. Founded in 1936, he has transformed the UPO into a versatile and dynamic symphony orchestra. Based in Yekaterinburg, on the border between Europe and Asia, it is a major cultural force in the Sverdlovsk region as well as a cultural ambassador on the international stage. Together with the orchestra, Dmitry Liss has been invited to such venues as the Kennedy Center Washington, Bunka-Kaikan Tokyo, Concertgebouw Amsterdam, KKL Lucerne, Salle Pleyel Paris and Tonhalle Zurich, as well as to various festivals, including the Beethovenfest Bonn, Festival International de Piano de la Roque d’Anthéron and Radio France’s Montpellier Festival. Liss has also received repeat invitations to La Folle Journée in France, Spain, Japan and Russia.

At the beginning of the 2016/17 season, Dmitry Liss was appointed Principal Conductor of the Philharmonie Zuidnederland. As a guest conductor, he has also appeared with renowned orchestras such as the Orchester National de France, Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra, Tokyo Metropolitan Symphony Orchestra, St. Petersburg Philharmonic, Tchaikovsky Symphony Orchestra of the Moscow Radio, Orchestra del Teatro Comunale di Bologna, Orchester Philharmonique du Luxembourg, MDR Orchestra Leipzig, Dortmund Philharmonic and the Naples Philharmonic.

Dmitry Liss is held in high regard by many renowned soloists, including the pianist Boris Berezovsky, with whom he has recorded all four piano concertos by Sergei Rachmaninov and Brahms’ Piano Concerto No. 2 for Mirare, as well as piano concertos by Khachaturian and Tchaikovsky for Warner Classics. Dmitry Liss’ extensive discography comprises, with recordings of Galina Ustvolskaya and Nikolai Miaskovsky’s symphonies, also lesser-known Russian repertoire, which he also includes in his concert programmes.

In the 2018/2019 season, Dmitry Liss will perform at the Orchester Philharmonique du Luxembourg, the Slovenian Philharmonic Orchestra, and the Estonian National Symphony Orchestra. At the Grafenegg Festival he makes his debut with the Tonkünstler Orchestra.

Dmitry Liss was born in Balashov and studied Voceline, Clarinet and Musicology before becoming a student of Dmitri Kitaenko at the Tchaikovsky Conservatory in Moscow. He has been honoured with numerous Russian and international awards, most notably with the honorary title of People’s Artist of Russia (2011), the country’s most prestigious award for achievements in the arts.

2018/19 season

This biography is to be reproduced without any changes, omissions or additions, unless expressly authorised by the artist management.