What Russia’s five top conductors are earning

What Russia’s five top conductors are earning

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norman lebrecht

May 20, 2015

The Ministry of Culture has published the 2014 salaries of the heads of Russia’s leading arts institutions. It’s a revealing chart. In first place, earning six times more than the next orchestra chief, is…. well you’ve guessed:

1 Valery Gergiev                340 million rubles ($6.9m)

Russian President Putin presents a Hero of Labour award to Mariinsky theatre director Gergiev during an awards ceremony in St. Petersburg

 

2 Vladimir Spivakov         57 million rubles ($1.2m)
Artistic Director of the National Philharmonic Orchestra of Russia

 

putin spivakov

3 Yuri Temirkanov           42 million rubles ($850,000)
St Peterbsburg Philharmonic

temirkanov-putin

4 Vladimir Fedoseyev        34 million rubles ($670,000)
Bolshoi symphony orchestra

5 Vladimir Jurowsky          25 million rubles ($500,000)
Svetlanov symphony orchestra

Comments

  • Olassus says:

    Say what you will about Mr. Putin, he supports music!

    • Greg Hlatky says:

      George Weiss, one-time general manager of the New York Yankees, sneered that you could buy a sportswriter with a steak. So for all their lofty pretentions, artists will always lick the boots of any thug that tosses a few coins their way.

  • harold braun says:

    Absolutely right,Olassus!And they deserve it,Russian conductors(and musicians in general)are really among the worlds very best!I think also of both the Petrenkos,Pletnev,Karabits et al.And Maestro Gergiev´s salary isn´t so high,just look at his working schedule….

  • T-ARAFANBOY says:

    Apart from Gergs, all pretty modest, but he probably works 6 times harder than the
    others 😉
    Money well spent ✓

    • Max Grimm says:

      If you really want to see modest, look at the salaries that the top Russian orchestral musicians are paid.

      • Marina Arshinova says:

        The salary in Temirkanov orchestra are quite high – around 3 000 Euro/month after taxes. Plus touring – it’s extra money
        In Gergiev’s orchestra also like that but they work much more

        • Max Grimm says:

          That is not at all bad. I was under the impression that the salaries were on average significantly lower than those of their European counterparts.
          Thank you Marina.

  • bargj1@netvision.net.il says:

    Is Pletnev on voluntary Service ?

    • Nick says:

      Pletnev’s RNO was founded as a private sector orchestra without state funding. I assume it remains so – hence Pletnev does not receive fees from the state.

  • Boris says:

    Harold, Karabits is Ukrainian.

  • DLowe says:

    Good for Putin. Wouldn’t see Cameron/Brown/Blair at that sort of thing. I vaguely recall John Major at Sutherland’s farewell at Covent Garden…

  • John Kelly says:

    A lot more before the recent tanking of the Rouble!

  • petronius says:

    After?

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