Semyon Mayevich Bychkov (; born November 30, 1952) is a Soviet-born American conductor. He is the chief conductor and artistic director of the Czech Philharmonic.
Biography
Childhood and studies in Russia Bychkov was born in Leningrad (now Saint Petersburg) to Jewish parents. His younger brother was Yakov Kreizberg, also a conductor. Bychkov studied at the Glinka Choir School for ten years before moving to the Leningrad Conservatory, where he was a student of Ilya Musin. At the Conservatory, Bychkov played volleyball for the Leningrad Dynamos. In 1973 he won the Rachmaninov Conducting Competition, but was denied the usual prize of conducting the Leningrad Philharmonic by the authorities after he applied for an exit visa. His family had suffered from official antisemitism, and after expressing views critical of the Soviet regime, in 1974 he decided to leave the country, going first to Vienna with only $100.
Studies and career in the United States In 1975, at age 22, he left Vienna and emigrated to the United States. Bychkov graduated from the Mannes School of Music, then became the director of the Mannes College Orchestra. From 1980 to 1985, he served as music director of the Grand Rapids Symphony in Grand Rapids, Michigan, and through his Mannes connection with fellow alumnus Julius Rudel became principal guest conductor of the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra. Again through his connection with Rudel, Bychkov made his debut conducting Carmen at the New York City Opera on September 30, 1981Donal Henahan, "City Opera: Patricia Miller as Carmen," New York Times (Oct. 2, 1981). (the six performances were his only appearances with that company). On 4 July 1983, he became a U.S. citizen. In 1985, he became music director of the Buffalo Philharmonic, and he held that post until 1989. During his time in Grand Rapids and Buffalo, Bychkov came to international attention following a series of high-profile cancellations in 1984 and 1985 that resulted in invitations to conduct the New York Philharmonic, the Berlin Philharmonic, and the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra. He was subsequently signed to a 10-year recording contract with Philips Classics Records, and made his debut recording conducting the Berlin Philharmonic in Shostakovich's Symphony No. 5.Royal Academy of Music website: Klemperer Chair of Conducting StudiesShostakovich Symphony No. 5, Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra, Semyon Bychkov, Philips, Gramophone Magazine Online, March 1987
Career in Europe From 1989 to 1998, Bychkov was music director of the Orchestre de Paris. He became principal guest conductor of the Saint Petersburg Philharmonic Orchestra in 1990, principal guest conductor of the Maggio Musicale Fiorentino in 1992, chief conductor of Dresden's Semperoper in 1998 and chief conductor of the WDR Symphony Orchestra Cologne in 1997. He remained in Cologne until 2010, making a series of recordings including Brahms's Symphonies No. 1–4, Shostakovich's Symphonies Nos. 4, 7, 8, 10, and 11, Mahler's Symphony No. 3, Rachmaninov's The Bells and Symphonic Dances, Richard Strauss's Ein Heldenleben and Eine Alpensinfonie, Verdi's Requiem, as well as Strauss's Elektra and Daphne and Wagner's Lohengrin, which won BBC Music Magazine's Record of the Year for 2010.
Bychkov made his debut at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden in 2003 with a new production of Elektra, and returned later that year to conduct Boris Godunov. In 2012, he assumed the newly created Günter Wand Conducting Chair with the BBC Symphony Orchestra, a post specially created for him. He holds the Otto Klemperer Chair of Conducting at the Royal Academy of Music in London.
In 2013, Bychkov first guest-conducted the Czech Philharmonic. In 2017, the Czech Philharmonic announced its appointment of Bychkov as its next chief conductor and music director, effective with the 2018–2019 season. In 2022, the Czech Philharmonic extended Bychkov's contract through 2028. In 2024, the Czech Philharmonic announced that Bychkov will stand down as its chief conductor and music director after the 2027–2028 season.
Bychkov was named 'Conductor of the Year' by the International Opera Awards in 2015. He became an honorary member of the Royal Academy of Music (Hon RAM) in 2015 and in 2022 received from the same institution an Honorary Doctorate of the University of London (Hon DMus).
In December 2025, Bychkov was the conductor at the Nobel Prize Concert 2025. In January 2026, the Paris Opera announced the appointment of Bychkov as its next music director, effective 1 August 2028, with an initial contract of four years. He is scheduled to take the title of music director-designate of the Opéra national de Paris on 1 August 2026.
Personal life Bychkov has been married twice. His first marriage was to Tatiana Rozina; the couple had two children. Their marriage ended in divorce. Bychkov's second marriage is to the pianist Marielle Labèque. The couple reside on the Côte Basque in French Basque country.
Selected discography Album Ensemble/Soloists Label Date Richard Strauss - ElektraBBC Music Magazine - Review: Elektra Felicity Palmer, Deborah Polaski, Anne Schwanewilms, Graham Clark, Franz Grundheber, WDR Symphony Orchestra Cologne Profil - Edition Günter Hänssler PH O5022 2005 Dmitri Shostakovich - Symphony No. 10, GLANERT - Theatrum bestiarum WDR Symphony Orchestra Cologne AVIE AV 2137 2007 Sergei Rachmaninoff - The Bells, Symphonic Dances Tatiana Pavlovskaya, Evgeny Akimov, Vladimir Vaneev WDR Rundfunkchor Köln, Lege Artis Chamber Choir, WDR Symphony Orchestra Cologne Profil - Edition Günter Hänssler PH 07028 2007 Giuseppe Verdi - Messa da RequiemBBC Music Magazine online - Review: Verdi, Requiem Violeta Urmana, Olga Borodina, Ramón Vargas, Ferruccio Furlanetto, WDR Rundfunkchor Köln, NDR Chor, Chor des Teatro Regio Turin, WDR Symphony Orchestra Cologne Profil - Edition Günter Hänssler PH 08036 2008 Richard Wagner - Lohengrin Johan Botha, Adrianne Pieczonka, Petra Lang, Kwangchul Youn, Falk Struckmann, Eike Wilm Schulte, WDR Symphony Orchestra Cologne, WDR Rundfunkchor Köln, NDR Chor, Prager Kammerchor, BBC MUSIC MAGAZINE 2010 DISC OF THE YEAR Profil - Edition Günter Hänssler PH 09004 2009 Richard Strauss - Ein Alpensinfonie, Till Eulenspiegels lustige StreicheBBC Music Magazine online - Review: Strauss - Eine Alpensinfonie & Till Eulenspiegels WDR Symphony Orchestra Cologne Profil - Edition Günter Hänssler PH 09065 2009Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky - Symphony No. 6 and Romeo & Juliet (Fantasy Overture) - Disc OneCzech PhilharmonicDecca Classics 48263312016 Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky - Manfred Symphony - Disc Two Czech Philharmonic Decca Classics 4832320 2017Tchaikovsky: The Tchaikovsky ProjectCzech PhilharmonicDecca Classics 4834942 2019Mahler: Symphony No. 4Czech Philharmonic, Chen Reiss Pentatone2022Mahler Symphony No. 5Czech PhilharmonicPentatone2022Mahler Symphony No. 2Czech Philharmonic, Christiane Karg, Elisabeth Kulman, Prague Philharmonic ChoirPentatone2023Mahler Symphony No. 1Czech PhilharmonicPentatone2023Smetana: Má VlastCzech PhilharmonicPentatone2024Strauss: Oboe Concerto Royal Concertbouw Orchestra Klassiek2024Dvořák Symphonies Nos. 7, 8, 9Czech PhilharmonicPentatone2024Mahler: Symphony No. 3Czech PhilharmonicPentatone2025Gustav Mahler: Symphonies 1–9Czech PhilharmonicPentatone2026
References
External links Official website of Semyon Bychkov
Gavin Dixon, 'Semyon Bychkov - The Maestro of Cologne', 2008 MusicalCriticism.com, Interview: Semyon Bychkov on returning to Covent Garden for Lohengrin, 25 April 2009 Bruce Duffie, 'Interview with Semyon Bychkov', November 28, 1988