Ilan Volkov
© Vojtěch Brtnický
musical omnivore
Conductor
Principal Guest Conductor, Brussels Philharmonic
Principal Guest Conductor Designate, City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra
Creator and Artistic Director, Tectonics Festivals
Creative Partner, BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra
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‘Volkov wore a nearly permanent grin. He leant, he crouched, he jumped, he implored. Audience applause and thankfulness at the end were tremendous’
Geoff Brown of The Times reviews London Symphony Orchestra at the Barbican
A true musical omnivore, Ilan Volkov is acclaimed for his vivid interpretations of core repertoire and his fearless commitment to contemporary music. Critics regularly praise the clarity and structural strength he brings to composers such as Beethoven, Brahms, Sibelius, and Mozart.
Renowned for building deep, long‑term partnerships, Volkov has collaborated with the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra for over two decades as Principal Conductor, long‑standing Principal Guest Conductor, and now Creative Partner. He is also Principal Guest Conductor of the Brussels Philharmonic and, from September, Principal Guest Conductor of the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra. A proactive and influential commissioner of new music, he has initiated and championed numerous new works, embedding them meaningfully alongside the classical canon. Founded in 2012, his Tectonics Festival has become one of the world’s most distinctive platforms for adventurous new music.
‘As musicians, we offer an opportunity for people to go deep inside themselves, which most of us don’t do on a regular basis. We need to be very positive, believe in what we do and have faith in the players and the audience’
