The second Academy for Young Conductors will take place in Yerevan, Armenia, from June 23-28, 2026. Vasily comments: “This year we received 159 applications from 22 countries for six places. That tells you something about how much young conductors want this kind of training, and how few real opportunities exist for them. Alongside the masterclass, I will be conducting the Armenian National Orchestra in Rimsky-Korsakov’s Scheherazade. I have thought a lot about why that piece and that orchestra feel like such a natural fit. The heat and the colour in Scheherazade, the temperament Rimsky-Korsakov puts into it, is genuinely close to what you feel from Armenian musicians. I think that concert is going to be something special.”
RPO audience report shows increased appetite for classical music – Arts Professional
“Thanks to the team at Arts Professional for an insightful assessment of the RPO’s new annual audience report, I was delighted to contribute comment to the insightful piece and it is so encouraging to see firm evidence that the orchestral audience is growing and...



