Marat Bisengaliev,
SOI Music Director

Described by The Times newspaper of London as a “brilliant violin soloist”, Marat Bisengaliev has also been designated “a Latter-day Ysayë” by the American journal Fanfare. Born in Kazakhstan, USSR, in 1962, Bisengaliev made a startling debut at the age of nine. He later studied at the Tchaikovsky Conservatoire in Moscow with two of the legendary names in violin tuition: Boris Belinki and Valery Klimov. Bisengaliev was a prizewinner in 1988 at the Leipzig International Bach Competition, and in 1991 won first prize at the International Nicanor Zabaleta Competition in Spain, also receiving the special virtuoso prize for the most outstanding performance of the competition.

A major recording contract was signed in 1991 with Naxos and Marco Polo. His recording of the Mendelssohn concertos with the Northern Sinfonia became Gramophone Critic's Choice of the year in 1998. His recording of the concerto by the British composer Havergal Brian with the BBC Scottish S.O. "Elgar - Re-discovered works for violin - Vol. 1" (Black Box) was nominated for the 1999 "Gramophone Award" and the “Critic’s Choice 1994” by Fanfare.

Bisengaliev was awarded a Gold Disc from Sony BMG for Tlep, which premiered in London’s Royal Albert Hall. In 2000, he received the 1st Independent ‘Platinum Tarlan’ Award and the Government ‘Medal of Honour’ in Kazakhstan. Bisengaliev also founded the West Kazakhstan Philharmonic Orchestra in 2003. The orchestra’s first CD, Requiem by Karl Jenkins, was released on EMI and shot to No.1 in the Classic Sales Chart and No.1 in the UK’s Classic FM Magazine ‘Hall of Fame’.

In 2006, Bisengaliev became the Music Director of the SOI. In 2008 and 2009, Marat Bisengaliev was named “Man of the Year”in 2009, and "Man of the Decade" in 2010 in Kazakhstan, after gaining the most votes in a popular poll.

In May 2010, Bisengaliev was invited by the Alliance of Asian-Pacific Regional Orchestras (AAPRO) President Guo Shan to join as a member of the board of directors of AAPRO. On February 1, 2011, he played in Buckingham Palace for the Royal Highness Prince of Wales and Duches of Cornwall with The Philharmonia Orchestra. April 2011 will see the worldwide release of Elgar triple CD — the Anthology of Elgar's violin music, featuring Marat Bisengaliev.

For more details, visit www.maratbisengaliev.com