Posts in News
The Jewish conductor who fled neo-Nazi mobs rescues the ENO

The Sunday Times

London, UK

English National Opera needed a new conductor to jump into a production of a tricky and disturbing 20th-century masterpiece. Luckily there was an obvious candidate: why not get the conductor who had led another challenging 20th-century masterpiece at ENO — and had a triumph? So the Russian-American conductor Lidiya Yankovskaya, the conductor of last year’s acclaimed ENO production of Gorecki’s Symphony of Sorrowful Songs, stepped in.

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Closing the gap

BBC Music Magazine

London, UK

The number of female conductors on the world’s orchestral podiums might be rising, but there is still some distance to cover, writes Jessica Duchen. Fast-rising star Lidiya Yankovskaya doesn’t mince her words about the challenges she has faced. “There’s a misconception that we’ve changed things more than we have. That’s because we started in a place that was so bad.”

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NewsBeth StewartFeature
'The Nose' as COT Music Director's Last Hurrah

Musical America

Chicago, IL

As music director of the Chicago Opera Theater for the past seven years, Lidiya Yankovskaya has brought well­-earned attention to the company with her commitment to presenting compelling interpretations of a varied repertoire. Now she has said she will step down at the conclusion of the 2023-24 season, with her final production as The Nose, Shostakovich's absurdist political satire.

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NewsBeth StewartFeature
With ‘The Nose,’ transformative music director Lidiya Yankovskaya departs COT

Chicago Tribune

Chicago, IL

Yankovskaya has raised the profile of COT immensely, her interpretations bracing and repertoire head-spinningly varied: She led 25 new-to-Chicago works, 11 of which were world premieres. She’s also fashioned COT as a primo stop for artists growing their careers by formalizing COT’s Young Artist Program and founding its Vanguard Initiative, which pairs first-time opera composers with accomplished librettists to trial-run a new work.

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NewsBeth StewartFeature
"These days I live by my nose"

The Reklama

Chicago, IL

On December 8 and 10, the Chicago premiere of the opera “The Nose” by D. Shostakovich will take place at the Chicago Opera Theater. The conductor is the musical director of the theater Lydia Yankovskaya. About the future performance, reasons for leaving COT and immediate plans - in an exclusive interview with the conductor.

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NewsBeth StewartFeature
A Freudian Fairy Tale

Pasatiempo

Santa Fe, NM

“The wonderful thing about Rusalka, like many great operas, is that the drama and the music are so woven together. So for me, the most important thing is finding that overall arc of the storytelling, and finding how each individual moment fits into the arc.”

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‘Really great art takes life as it is and portrays it as it is’: Conductor Lidiya Yankovskaya on the Symphony of Sorrowful Songs

Opera Now

London, UK

“‘I can’t think of many companies that would do this work. To stage the Symphony of Sorrowful Songs is a big risk and a really out of the box idea. Most organisations would not have the confidence, even if they believed in it.’ The 37-year-old conductor debuts tonight at the English National Opera. She reflects on grief, balancing art with emotion and the importance of companies like the ENO.’”

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NewsBeth StewartFeature
How the World of Classical Music Has Responded to TÁR

RogerEbert

Chicago, IL

“I am glad that the film has sparked so much conversation about conducting,” said Yankovsaya, a rising star in classical music [and] music director of Chicago Opera Theater. “While it’s unfortunate that Tár is a negative character, I am heartened to know that now, when people think ‘conductor,’ the image in their minds might be of a woman.”

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NewsBeth Stewart
Second Homes: Lidiya Yankovskaya speaks up for 'second' companies

Opera Magazine

London, UK

“It's a beautiful opportunity,” says Lidiya Yankovskaya. “A month of rehearsal, where the director, the singer and I get to think every day about every nuance of that emotional dramatic arc over the course of the piece. That is a luxury.” Speaking over Zoom during a rare day off between concerts in Detroit and Knoxville, the Russian-American conductor is palpably excited about her upcoming appearances at English National Opera.

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