About
Sergey Simakov has collaborated with leading orchestras across Europe, including the Stuttgart Philharmonic, the Iceland Symphony Orchestra, the Konzerthaus Orchestra Berlin, the Orchestre Philharmonique de Strasbourg, the Nord Netherlands Symphony Orchestra, the Moscow Philharmonic Orchestra, and the George Enescu Philharmonic Orchestra. His versatility is recognized by renowned ensembles and opera houses throughout Europe, and he has achieved success in both classical concert and opera repertoire.
In the 2024/25 and 2025/26 seasons, he is working with orchestras and opera houses in Germany, Poland, Romania, and Switzerland, including the Silesian Philharmonic Katowice, Sinfonietta Cracovia, the Teatr Wielki w Łódź, the Moravian Philharmonic Orchestra Olomouc, the Opole Philharmonic, the Filharmonia Gorzowska, the Elbląg Chamber Orchestra, and the Giraud Ensemble Chamber Orchestra.
He has also appeared at opera houses such as the Mecklenburg State Theatre Schwerin, Ulm Theatre, and the Komische Oper Leipzig. A notable success was his interpretation of Donizetti’s L’Elisir d’Amore at the Cottbus State Theatre, where his conducting was praised for its “considerable verve” (Lausitzer Rundschau), and he himself was highlighted as an “authentic opera conductor” (Der Opernfreund).
As the founder and artistic director of the Giraud Ensemble Chamber Orchestra, based in Zurich since 2015, Simakov released a well-received CD in 2019 featuring works by Gulda, Prokofiev, and Poulenc under the label Solo Musica/SONY Music in collaboration with SRF2 Kultur. The orchestra was praised for its “precise and translucent interpretation” (Das Orchester). An earlier release, PRIMUS, appeared in 2017 on the Yartista label.
Simakov has received multiple awards at international conducting competitions, including the 2015 International Conducting Competition Jeunesses Musicales Bucharest and, most recently in 2023, the second prize (“Silver Baton”) at the Grzegorz Fitelberg International Competition for Conductors along with the Silesian Philharmonic Symphony Orchestra Award. From 2012 to 2016, he was a fellow of the German Music Council’s DIRIGENTENFORUM.
He completed his conducting studies at the music conservatories in Kazan and Freiburg under the guidance of Fuat Mansurov, Scott Sandmeier, and Lutz Köhler. His artistic development was further enriched through encounters with conductors such as Iván Fischer, Jorma Panula, Eri Klas, Daniel Raiskin, Ilan Volkov, Sian Edwards, and Marko Letonja.
Since 2017, Simakov has been a lecturer in orchestral conducting at the University of Music Freiburg.
About
Sergey Simakov has collaborated with leading orchestras across Europe, including the Stuttgart Philharmonic, the Iceland Symphony Orchestra, the Konzerthaus Orchestra Berlin, the Orchestre Philharmonique de Strasbourg, the Nord Netherlands Symphony Orchestra, the Moscow Philharmonic Orchestra, and the George Enescu Philharmonic Orchestra. His versatility is recognized by renowned ensembles and opera houses throughout Europe, and he has achieved success in both classical concert and opera repertoire.
In the 2024/25 and 2025/26 seasons, he is working with orchestras and opera houses in Germany, Poland, Romania, and Switzerland, including the Silesian Philharmonic Katowice, Sinfonietta Cracovia, the Teatr Wielki w Łódź, the Moravian Philharmonic Orchestra Olomouc, the Opole Philharmonic, the Filharmonia Gorzowska, the Elbląg Chamber Orchestra, and the Giraud Ensemble Chamber Orchestra.
He has also appeared at opera houses such as the Mecklenburg State Theatre Schwerin, Ulm Theatre, and the Komische Oper Leipzig. A notable success was his interpretation of Donizetti’s L’Elisir d’Amore at the Cottbus State Theatre, where his conducting was praised for its “considerable verve” (Lausitzer Rundschau), and he himself was highlighted as an “authentic opera conductor” (Der Opernfreund).
As the founder and artistic director of the Giraud Ensemble Chamber Orchestra, based in Zurich since 2015, Simakov released a well-received CD in 2019 featuring works by Gulda, Prokofiev, and Poulenc under the label Solo Musica/SONY Music in collaboration with SRF2 Kultur. The orchestra was praised for its “precise and translucent interpretation” (Das Orchester). An earlier release, PRIMUS, appeared in 2017 on the Yartista label.
Simakov has received multiple awards at international conducting competitions, including the 2015 International Conducting Competition Jeunesses Musicales Bucharest and, most recently in 2023, the second prize (“Silver Baton”) at the Grzegorz Fitelberg International Competition for Conductors along with the Silesian Philharmonic Symphony Orchestra Award. From 2012 to 2016, he was a fellow of the German Music Council’s DIRIGENTENFORUM.
He completed his conducting studies at the music conservatories in Kazan and Freiburg under the guidance of Fuat Mansurov, Scott Sandmeier, and Lutz Köhler. His artistic development was further enriched through encounters with conductors such as Iván Fischer, Jorma Panula, Eri Klas, Daniel Raiskin, Ilan Volkov, Sian Edwards, and Marko Letonja.
Since 2017, Simakov has been a lecturer in orchestral conducting at the University of Music Freiburg.