Sergey Neller

Conductor, composer and pianist Sergey Neller recently captured the attention of the classical music world as the 2nd Prize Winner of the prestigious 2016 Gustav Mahler Conducting Competition hosted by the Bamberg Symphony.

Called “enormously talented” by the Neue Zürcher Zeitung, Neller’s dramatic style and deep musical knowledge help him stand out from his peers. Having led such renowned ensembles as the Tonhalle-Orchester Zürich, Orchestre Régional de Cannes, the Bamberg, Berlin and Brandenburg Symphony Orchestras, the Gstaad Festival Orchestra, Argovia Philharmonic and the Brandenburg State Orchestra of Frankfurt among others, Neller’s career is following a rapid upward trajectory. He counts among his mentors such luminary figures as John Carewe, Neeme Järvi, Valdimir Jurowski, Yannick Nézet-Séguin, Jorma Panula, Gennady Rozhdestvensky, Sir Simon Rattle and David Zinman. Born in Russia, Neller studied composition and piano at the Moscow Tchaikovsky Conservatory. He studied conducting at the Universität der Künste Berlin where he was a fellow of the Konrad Adenauer Foundation.

From 2002 to 2006 Neller was the recipient of the renowned Mstislav Rostropovich Foundation Award, during which period he composed his first opera, “Tintagiles,” and premiered it at the Helikon Opera in Moscow. Composed to an original libretto based on Maurice Maeterlinkc’s play “The Death of Tintagiles,” the work attracted the attention of the international press and resonated strongly with Russian audiences. In 2010, Neller completed his second opera, “Phaedra,” composed to a libretto by the contemporary Russian poet and playwright Alexey Parin.

Neller has also enjoyed considerable success as a pianist, having won international competitions in Austria, Bulgaria, Italy and the USA, and given concerts throughout Europe, North America and Australia. He has also made several recordings of works by Chopin, Medtner, Oborin and Scriabin.