Young conductor heads for Russia

BY JEREMY BROWN
Vladimir Fanshil, a 25-year-old classical musician from Bondi, is one of only five selected worldwide this year for a conductor’s course at St Petersburg’s Rimsky-Korsakov State Conservatoire, one of the most renowned schools of music in the world. Its long list of talented graduates includes Tchaikovsky, Prokofiev and Shostakovich.

‘I still can’t believe how lucky I am,’ Fanshil said. ‘It’s one of the few schools left where they pass on knowledge from generation to generation. I will study under a student of Shostakovich, one of the most famous Russian composers of last century.’

Fanshil is the first Australian conductor to be offered a place at the Conservatoire. This distinction crowns the achievements of this prize-winning pianist who ranked in the top five students for HSC music. Since then he has studied at the prestigious Sydney Conservatory, and already boasts several conducting engagements worldwide.

His love of music began early. ‘I can’t remember much before I emigrated from Russia at the age of five with my mother, a piano player and music teacher. We were always surrounded by musical people, and I went to school at Moriah College which has a very strong music program. I love all types of music but now I am passionate about conducting.’
 

A conductor builds on the composer’s score, ‘the bones’ of the music, he said. ‘It’s an enormous privilege to be able to work with the great musical works, past or present, and build a powerful performance from the composer’s original genius.’
But there is room in his life for all kinds of music. ‘I love to dance and really enjoy the percussive and rhythmic African and Latin American beats, like Salsa,’ Fanshil said. ‘I also love folk music of all types. I think that much of the beautiful music of the past is also a high form of folk music.’
 

The young conductor thanked Sabra Travel for taking care of his air fares, and the many groups and individuals who have helped him financially.
‘I still need to raise support and sponsorship. It’s very cold in St Petersburg in mid-winter and I’ll have big power bills,’ he said. ‘My dream is to lead Australia’s premier orchestras, which today are mostly headed by foreign conductors, and to pass on this great legacy to young Australian musicians.’
 

To help Fanshil become an Australian world class conductor, call Sharon Nathani on (03) 9616 0305.