Gennady Rozhdestvensky
Born 1931 Conductor
An unforgettable figure who made a huge impression on both Russian and British orchestra stages, Gennady Rozhdestvensky feared artistic persecution at home but managed to work on either side of the Iron Curtain, championing music from both countries. A principal conductor at the Bolshoi in the 1960s, he would go on to become the chief conductor of the BBC Symphony Orchestra in 1978, following guest conducting turns with the likes of the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra as early as 1956. Affectionately known as ‘Noddy’ by colleagues at the BBC Symphony Orchestra, he apparently eschewed lengthy rehearsals and multiple takes so as to create more emotionally intense performances ‘in the moment’. Such erratic traits set him apart as a bit of a risk taker, perhaps even unreliable; but there was no questioning his immense musical knowledge, colourful imagination and endearing showmanship. Indeed, he was famous for conducting without a podium, sometimes going so far as to take a stroll through the musicians, baton in hand. The son of a notable conductor (Nikolai Anosov) and a leading soprano (Natalya Rozhdestvenskaya), he modified and adopted his mother’s surname so he could step out of his father’s esteemed shadow, under which he studied at the Moscow Conservatoire.