Semyon Bychkov — conductor with roots in the USSR
Semyon Bychkov is a Russian-American conductor born in Leningrad who has led the world's finest orchestras and is currently Chief Conductor and Music Director of the Czech Philharmonic. Known for his interpretations of Tchaikovsky, Brahms, and Mahler, he has recorded extensively for Philips and Sony.
Tracing the roots — Leningrad
Born in Leningrad in 1952 and trained at the Leningrad Conservatory, Bychkov defected from the Soviet Union in 1975 and built his career in the West. He has been music director of major orchestras including the Buffalo Philharmonic, Orchestre de Paris, and WDR Symphony Orchestra Cologne — carrying the Russian conducting tradition into the world's concert halls.
Leningrad. At the time, this region was one of the fifteen republics of the Soviet Union.