Sad news: Yuri Temirkanov has died

The St Petersburg Philharmonic has reported on its website the death of its long-serving chief conductor Yuri Temirkanov. He was 84.

Naturally gifted, he rose swiftly through the Soviet system, becoming music director of the Kirov (now Mariinsky) Opera in 1976. A dozen years later he moved over to become chief of the Leningrad Philharmonic.

Temirkanov swore to me once that he never played politics and never joined the Communist Party. His father, however, had been head of culture in South Ossetia and a close female friend held a similar post in Leningrad. He also maintained good relations with his upcoming younger rivals, Mariss Jansons and Valery Gergiev.

After the collapse of Communism, Temirkanov took a position as principal conductor with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra in London, 1992-98, and became music director of the Baltimore Symphony (2000-2006). In latter years he loved spending time in Oxford.

He retired from conducting in February 2022.