Veronika Dudarova
Article date: 5/02/09 | Last edited: 9/02/09
Veronika Dudarova
The first female orchestral conductor Veronika Dudarova has died on Thursday, 16th of January 2009 in Moscow at the age of 91.
Veronika Borisovna Dudarova was born on December 5, 1916, in Baku (the capital of Azerbaijan state). Ms. Dudarova got her primary music education at the Baku music school for gifted children. From 1933 - 37 she studied piano at the Leningrad (St. Petersburg) Conservatory’s Music College and from 1939 to 1947 was a conducting student of the Moscow Conservatory. 1944 - 1947 Conductor Moscow’s Children Theatre and assistant conductor of the Moscow Conservatory’s Opera Studio. 1947 - 1989 Principal Conductor of Moscow State Symphony Orchestra. 1991 - 2009 Founding Artistic Director and Principal Conductor of the Symphony Orchestra of Russia.
Sadly and inevitably everything comes to an end… I am profoundly thankful to you, Ms. Dudarova, for the optimistic and life-asserting inspirational experience of your artistic endeavours left imprinted in my memory.
What a sad conincidence. Only a couple of months ago, while selecting repertoire for this year’s QYO2 concerts, I recalled an enlightening moment from the distant past, where as a very young music student I got my first professional gig playing Shostakovich’s 7th Symphony with the Moscow State Symphony Orchestra. I was elated not only to have been asked to play… play one of the gems of symphonic repertory, but also to see in action too, I was told, the first and only female conductor in the world.
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I’ve listened various concerts by Izmir State Symphony Orchestra conducted by her in Turkey in late 80’s. She had an enormous power on the podium, and seems never missing a thing. It was beautiful seeing her on podium that makes you feel, she would make you listen a good concert.
Never thought she was so old.
RIP.
Emre Ulas,
Izmir, Turkey