Vladimir Spivakov
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Vladimir Teodorovich Spivakov (Russian: Владимир Теодорович Спиваков) (born September 12, 1944 in Ufa) is a leading Russian conductor and violinist best known for his work with the Moscow Virtuosi chamber orchestra.
At the age of 13, Spivakov was awarded the first prize at the major conductor contest in Moscow. He studied at the Moscow Conservatory under Yury Yankelevich and debuted with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra in 1979. The same year he established the Moscow Virtuosi chamber orchestra. In 1984, Leonard Bernstein presented his conductor's baton to Spivakov. In 1989 he emigrated to Spain. Spivakov was named the People's Artist of the USSR in 1991. Three years later, he established the Spivakov Charity Foundation to help Russian orphans. In 2000 he was awarded the Légion d'honneur for his work as an artistic director of the Colmar International Festival, for which he has worked since 1989. His wife Sati is a TV star.
Spivakov is also considered one of the foremost violinists of his generation, having studied with Yuri Yakelevich at the Moscow Conservatory. He was a prizewinner at several competitions in Moscow, Paris, Genoa, and Montreal.
