Igor Gruppman

Igor Gruppman is one of those special artists whose career successfully spans a number of artistic fields. Critically acclaimed for his depth of interpretation and sensitive musicianship, Igor Gruppman enjoys an exciting and multi-faceted career as conductor, violin soloist, and orchestra leader. As the Leader of the Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra and a frequent guest Leader of orchestras such as the London Symphony, London’s Royal Philharmonic, and St. Martin in the Fields, Mr. Gruppman has collaborated with and was influenced by some of the most esteemed conductors of his generation including Solti, Gergiev, Rostropovich, Colin Davis, Rattle, Haitink and Yannick Nézet Séguin.
As soloist, Mr. Gruppman is critically acclaimed for his “rich and beautiful tone, elegant phrasing, drive, passion and virtuosity.” (Strad Magazine) He continues the proud tradition of his teachers, Leonid Kogan and Jascha Heifetz. Most recently Mr. Gruppman received glowing reviews for his performances of the Double Concerto by Brahms under the baton of Valery Gergiev and the Second Violin Concerto by Prokofiev under the baton of Yannick Nézet Séguin, both with the Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra.
Mr. Gruppman’s violin solo recordings have met with enthusiastic reception by the international press: Berlioz’ Reverie and Caprice (Naxos); Respighi’s Poema Autunnale (Koch); Miklos Rosza’s Sinfonia Concertante and the Violin Concerto (Koch), which marks the first release of the concerto since the recording by Heifetz for whom this piece was written. Arnold’s Concerto for Two Violins and Orchestra with the San Diego Chamber Orchestra won a Grammy Award. The long-awaited reconstructed original string version of the Brahms’ F Minor Quintet recorded with the members of the Academy of St. Martin in the Fields was released on the Biddulph label.
Mr. Gruppman conducts orchestras on four continents. He made his debut with the Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra conducting a special Easter performance of The Last Seven Words by Haydn and Gubaidulina in the Rotterdam Cathedral. Most recently Mr. Gruppman conducted the Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra in two critically acclaimed Mendelssohn programs and an all-Mozart program at De Doelen Great Hall in Rotterdam where in addition to conducting the RPHO, Mr. Gruppman gave the Netherlands premiere of Mozart’s recently reconstructed Concerto for Violin and Piano (Op. 315F) with pianist Ronald Brautigam.
Igor Gruppman made his conducting debut with the Mariinsky Orchestra during the 2008 Easter Festival in St. Petersburg and has appeared regularly with the orchestra ever since. In 2010 he was honored as the Artist-of-the-Month by the Mariinsky Theater.