The Russian National Orchestra () was founded in Moscow in 1990 by pianist and conductor Mikhail Pletnev. It was the first Russian orchestra to perform at the Apostolic Palace, Vatican City and in Israel.
History The RNO's first recording (1991) was Tchaikovsky's Symphony No. 6, Pathétique, released on Virgin Classics. Since then, the orchestra has made over 80 recordings for Deutsche Grammophon, Pentatone, Ondine, Warner Classics and other labels, and with conductors that include RNO Founder and Artistic Director Mikhail Pletnev, Vladimir Jurowski, Paavo Järvi, Kent Nagano, Carlo Ponti, José Serebrier and Vasily Petrenko. Notable releases include the complete Beethoven symphonies and piano concertos on Deutsche Grammophon, Tchaikovsky's six symphonies for Pentatone, and the RNO Shostakovich project, also on Pentatone.
The RNO's recording of Prokofiev's Peter and the Wolf and Beintus's Wolf Tracks, conducted by Kent Nagano and narrated by Sophia Loren, Bill Clinton and Mikhail Gorbachev, was the winner of a 2004 Grammy Award, making the RNO the first Russian orchestra ever to win this honor. A Spanish-language version narrated by Antonio Banderas was released in 2007, following a Russian version narrated by actors Oleg Tabakov and Sergei Bezrukov, with a Mandarin edition following in 2011. Narrators in concert versions of these works have included actors Danny Glover, Diana Douglas, Sean Dill and Debbie Allen, model Tatiana Sorokko, Singaporean violinist Min Lee, and BBC anchor Seva Novgorodsev.
Touring annually, the RNO appears in the music capitals of Europe, Asia and the Americas, and is a frequent guest at festivals such as Edinburgh, the BBC Proms, Festival Napa Valley, and Festival of the Arts BOCA. In 2009 the RNO launched its own annual festival, the RNO Grand Festival, held each year in September to open the Moscow classical music concert season. The tenth anniversary festival was held from September 10 to October 4, 2018.
RNO concerts are often aired on National Public Radio, the European Broadcasting Union, and Russia's Kultura channel.
In 2008, a panel of international critics assembled by Gramophone named the Russian National Orchestra as one of the world's top orchestras.
The RNO maintains two outreach programs in the US and Russia: Cultural Allies, encompassing exchanges between artists in Russia and the West and the commissioning of new works; and the Magic of Music, bringing RNO musicians to play for children in Moscow's orphanages, special facilities for the mentally and physically disabled, and bringing school children to concert halls in Moscow for RNO children's concerts. In the two decades since the Magic of Music program was created, it has expanded to the US with Russian National Orchestra musicians performing for school children while on tour.
The Russian National Orchestra is a private institution supported by individuals, corporations and foundations in Russia and throughout the world. Organizations that support the RNO include the Russian Arts Foundation, Prince Michael of Kent Foundation, Ann and Gordon Getty Foundation, Mikhail Prokhorov Foundation, and the Trust for Mutual Understanding.
Awards
Recording AwardBeethoven: Piano Concertos No. 2 and No. 4 Best Concerto Recording 2007, Tokyo Record AcademyBeethoven: The Nine Symphonies WGUC Top CD of 2007; Recording of the Month, MusicWebGlazunov: Complete Concertos Classical CD of the Week, The Telegraph; Recording of the Month, MusicWeb; CD of the Week (Colorado and Minnesota Public Radio); CD of the Week (WQZR New York, WETA Washington)Prokofiev: Cinderella Top Recordings of the 1990s, Gramophone MagazineProkofiev & Beintus: Peter and the Wolf / Wolf TracksGRAMMY Award, 2004Rachmaninov: Symphony No. 3, Symphonic Dances Romantic Record of the Year (Classic FM Magazine), 1998Scriabin: Symphony No 3, The Poem of Ecstasy Classical CD of the Week: The Telegraph, LondonShostakovich: Symphonies No. 1 and No. 6 Editor's Choice, Gramophone Magazine; Diapason d'Or de l'année; Choc du monde de la Musique de l'année; Double 10, Classics Today; Best of 2006, SoundstageShostakovich: Symphony No. 11, "The Year 1905" Classical CD of the Week, The Telegraph, London; Best of 2006, SoundstageShostakovich: Symphony No. 15 & HamletBBC Music Choice of the MonthShostakovich: Symphony No. 8 Supersonic Award, Pizzicato, (Luxembourg)Shostakovich: Symphonies No. 5 and No. 9 Choc du monde de la Musique (May 2007); Edison Award Nominee, 2008 (Netherlands)Taneyev: At the Reading of a Psalm Classical CD of the Week: The Telegraph, LondonTchaikovsky: Symphony No. 6 (Virgin Classics) Gramophone List: The 100 Greatest RecordingsTchaikovsky: Violin Concerto in D (Julia Fischer)BBC Music Magazine, Best Recording of Tchaikovsky Violin Concerto
2007 Gramophone Artist of the Year
Echo Klassik Award, Best Instrumental Performance of 2007
Best Recording of Tchaikovsky's Violin Concerto (ClassicalMusic.com)
Best of 2006, Audiophile Audition
Editor's Choice, Gramophone Magazine (April 2007)
Financial Times Critics ChoiceTchaikovsky: Suite No. 3; Stravinsky: Divertimento Classical CD of the Week: The Telegraph, LondonTchaikovsky: Hamlet & Romeo and Juliet Recording of the Month, Gramophone Magazine (March 2009)Tchaikovsky: Symphony No. 5 & Francesca da Rimini (Pentatone) Disc of the Month, BBC Music Magazine (October 2011) Russian Violin Concertos (Julia Fischer) Editor's Choice, Gramophone Magazine (January 2005); 2005 Echo Klassik Award, Concerto Record of the YearRavel & Prokofiev: Piano Concertos (Francesco Tristano Schlimé) Choc du monde de la Musique (July/Aug 2006); Editor's Choice, Gramophone Magazine (September 2006); Classical CD of the Week, The Daily TelegraphChopin & Loewe: Piano Concertos (Mari Kodama) Best of 2004, Audiophile AuditionProkofiev, Rachmaninov: Piano Concertos No. 3 (Mikhail Pletnev) Nominated for GRAMMY Award, 2004
Recordings Since 1990, the RNO has released over 80 recordings on CD and SACD. These include: DescriptionConductorLabel/Number2018Dmitri Shostakovich
Symphony No. 4 in C minor
Symphony No. 10 in E minorMikhail PletnevPentatone
51866472017Johann Sebastian Bach
Ich ruf zu Dir, Herr Jesu Christ
Ich habe genug
Orchestral Suite No. 2 in B minorMetropolitan Hilarion Alfeyev, Stephan GenzPentatone
51865932016Divine Art
Vyacheslav Artyomov
Symphony: Gentle Emanation
Tristia IITeodor Currentzis, Vladimir PonkinDivine Art Records
DDA 25143Tchaikovsky Selections
Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky
Coronation March
Capriccio italien
Francesca da Rimini: Fantasy for Orchestra after Dante
Romeo and Juliet Overture-Fantasia
Marche slaveMikhail PletnevPentatone
51865502015Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky: The Symphonies and “Manfred” SymphonyMikhail PletnevPentatone
5186489Alexander Scriabin
Symphony No. 1 in E major
The Poem of Ecstasy (Symphony No. 4)
Svetlana Shilova, soprano
Mikhail Gubsky, tenor
Vladislav Lavrik, trumpet
Norbert Gembaczka, organ
Chamber Choir of the Moscow ConservatoryMikhail PletnevPentatone
5186514Metropolitan Hilarion Alfeyev
Stabat Mater
Concerto Grosso
Fugue on the B-A-C-H Motif
Canciones de la muerte
De profundis
Soloists: Svetlana Kasyan, Artyom Dervoed, Tatiana Porshneva, Maxim Khokholkov, Sergei Dubov, Alexander Gotgelf, Moscow Synodal ChoirPentatone
5186486Dmitri Shostakovich
Symphony No. 7 in C majorPaavo JärviPentatone
51765112014Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky
“Manfred” SymphonyMikhail PletnevPentatone
51863872012Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky
Symphony No. 3 in D major
Coronation MarchMikhail PletnevPentatone
5186383Sergei Prokofiev
Violin Concerto No. 1 in D major
Violin Concerto No. 2 in G minor
Sonata for Solo Violin in D major
Arabella Steinbacher, violinVasily PetrenkoPentatone
5186395Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky
Symphony No. 2 in C Minor – Little Russian
Symphony No. 2 in C Minor (Original First Movement)Mikhail PletnevPentatone
5186382Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky
Symphony No. 1 in G minor – Winter Daydreams
Marche slaveMikhail PletnevPentatone
51863812011Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky
Symphony No. 6 in B minor – Pathétique
Capriccio italienMikhail PletnevPentatone 5186386Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky
The Nutcracker – Ballet in Two Acts
Vesna Children's ChoirMikhail PletnevOndine
ODE 1180-2DNikolai Rimsky-Korsakov
Schéhérazade
Capriccio espagnol
Neapolitan Song
Tatiana Porshneva and Alexei Bruni, violinCarlo PontiPentatone
5186 378Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky
Symphony No. 5 in E minor
Francesca da Rimini: Fantasy for Orchestra after DanteMikhail PletnevPentatone
5186 385Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky
Symphony No. 4 in F minor
Romeo and Juliet Overture-Fantasia (Final version of 1880)Mikhail PletnevPentatone
5186384Alexander Glazunov: Complete Concertos
Violin Concerto in A minor
Chant du ménestrel
Piano Concerto No. 2 in B major
Concerto in E-flat major for Alto Saxophone and String Orchestra
Piano Concerto No. 1 in F minor
Rêverie in D-flat major for Horn and Orchestra
Concerto Ballata in C major for Cello and Orchestra
Méditation in D major for Violin and Orchestra
Soloists: Rachel Barton Pine, Alexander Romanovsky, Wen-Sinn Yang, Marc Chisson, Alexey SerovJosé SerebrierWarner Classics
2564-67946-5 (2CD)Sergei Rachmaninov
The Isle of the Dead, Symphonic Poem
Symphony No. 1 in D minor
Symphony No. 2 in E minor
The Rock – Fantasy
Symphony No. 3 in A minor
Symphonic Dances
The Bells
Sergei Taneyev
John of Damascus, Cantata for Chorus and Orchestra after a poem by A. TolstoyMikhail PletnevDeutsche Grammophon
477 9505 62010Sergei Rachmaninov
Festive Overture
Chant du ménestrel
The Bells
Entr’acte (Act IV) from Khovanshchina, orchestrated by Leopold Stokowski
Vocalise, orchestrated byJosé Serebrier
Lyubov Petrova, soprano
Andrei Popov, tenor
Sergei Leiferkus, baritone
Moscow State Chamber ChoirJosé SerebrierWarner Classics 2564-68025-5Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky
Swan Lake – Ballet in Four ActsMikhail PletnevOndine
ODE 1167-2DPeter and the Wolf / Wolf Tracks [in Mandarin]
Sergei Prokofiev
Peter and the Wolf
Xiao Lu and Geng Chun, narrators in Mandarin
Jean-Pascal Beintus
Wolf Tracks
Pu Cunxin, narrator in Mandarin
Sergei Prokofiev
Peter and the Wolf
Jean-Pascal Beintus
Wolf Tracks
Sophia Loren, Bill Clinton, Mikhail Gorbachev, narrators in EnglishKent NaganoPentatone
5186311Gershwin and Bernstein
George Gershwin
Concerto in F
Leonard Bernstein
The Age of Anxiety
Ingrid Jacoby, pianoDmitry LissOndine
ODE 1163-2Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov
Suite from The Snow Maiden
Suite from Legend of the Invisible City of Kitezh and the Maiden Fevroniya
Nuit sur le Mont Triglav – 3rd Act of the Ballet Opera MladaMikhail PletnevPentatone
5186 3622009Dmitri Shostakovich
Symphony No. 15 in A major
Hamlet – Selections from the Incidental MusicMikhail PletnevPentatone
5186 3312008Modest Mussorgsky
Pictures at an Exhibition
Night on the Bare Mountain
The Sorochinsky Fair
Khovanshchina – Prelude and Dance of the Persian Slave GirlsCarlo PontiPentatone SACD 5186332Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky
Hamlet – Overture and Incidental Music
Romeo and Juliet Overture-FantasiaVladimir JurowskiPentatone 5186330Ludwig van Beethoven
Piano Concertos No. 1-5
Mikhail Pletnev, pianoChristian GanschDeutsche Grammophon
477 7475Ludwig van Beethoven
Piano Concerto No. 5 in E-flat major
Mikhail Pletnev, pianoChristian GanschDeutsche Grammophon
477 64172007Sergei Prokofiev
Symphony No. 5 in B-flat major
Ode to the End of the WarVladimir JurowskiPentatone 5186083Ludwig van Beethoven
Symphonies No. 1-9
Angela Denoke, soprano
Marianna Tarasova, mezzo-soprano
Endrik Wottrich, tenor
Matthias Goerne, baritone
The Moscow State Chamber Choir conducted by Vladimir MininMikhail PletnevDeutsche Grammophon
477 6409Ludwig van Beethoven
Piano Concerto No. 2 in B-flat major
Piano Concerto No. 4 in G major
Mikhail Pletnev, pianoChristian GanschDeutsche Grammophon
477 6416Lee Johnson
Dead SymphonyLee JohnsonJammates