Andris Nelsons facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Andris Nelsons
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Nelsons on 9 September 2015
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| Born | 18 November 1978 |
| Occupation | Conductor |
| Years active | 2003–present |
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Andris Nelsons OBE (born 18 November 1978) is a famous conductor from Latvia. He is currently the music director of the Boston Symphony Orchestra in the US. He also holds the title of Gewandhauskapellmeister for the Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra in Germany. Before these roles, he led the Latvian National Opera, the Nordwestdeutsche Philharmonie, and the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra.
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Early Life and Musical Beginnings
Andris Nelsons was born in Riga, Latvia. His family was very musical. His mother started Latvia's first group for early music. His father was a choir conductor, a cellist, and a teacher.
When Andris was five, his mother and stepfather took him to see an opera. It was Tannhäuser by Richard Wagner. Nelsons said this experience was very important for him. He was deeply moved by the music.
As a young person, Andris learned to play the piano. At age 12, he started playing the trumpet. He also sang as a bass-baritone in his mother's music group. He even played the trumpet with the orchestra of the Latvian National Opera.
Becoming a Conductor
Nelsons studied how to conduct with Alexander Titov in Saint Petersburg, Russia. He also took special classes with famous conductors like Neeme Järvi and Jorma Panula.
A big moment happened when he filled in for a trumpet player. This was during a tour with the Oslo Philharmonic. There, he met Mariss Jansons, a very important conductor. Jansons became Nelsons's mentor. Nelsons started studying conducting with him in 2002.
In 2003, Nelsons became the main conductor of the Latvian National Opera. He worked there for four years. In 2006, he became the chief conductor of the Nordwestdeutsche Philharmonie in Germany. He held this job until 2009. His first time conducting at the famous Metropolitan Opera was in 2009. He led a show called Turandot. In 2010, he made his first appearance at the Bayreuth Festival. He conducted a new show of Wagner's Lohengrin.
Leading the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra
In the UK, Nelsons started working with the BBC Philharmonic. In October 2007, the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra (CBSO) chose Nelsons. He became their 12th principal conductor and music director. This started with the 2008/09 season.
It was a bit unusual because Nelsons had only conducted the CBSO privately. He had not done a public concert with them yet. His first public concert with the CBSO was in November 2007. He extended his contract with the CBSO several times. He finished his time as music director there after the 2014/15 season.
Conducting the Boston Symphony Orchestra
In the US, Nelsons first conducted the Boston Symphony Orchestra (BSO) in March 2011. He filled in for another conductor at Carnegie Hall. He later conducted the BSO at the Tanglewood Music Festival. In January 2013, he performed with them at Symphony Hall, Boston.
In May 2013, the BSO named Nelsons as their 15th music director. This role started in the 2014/15 season. His first contract was for five years. He was expected to conduct for 8 to 10 weeks each year. The BSO has extended Nelsons's contract multiple times. As of 2024, his contract continues automatically each year.
Leading the Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra
Nelsons first conducted the Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra in 2011. In September 2015, this orchestra announced a big role for him. He was named their next Gewandhauskapellmeister. This started with the 2017–2018 season. His first contract was for five seasons. In October 2020, his contract was extended until July 2027.
Award-Winning Recordings
Andris Nelsons has made many recordings. With the CBSO, he recorded music by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky and Richard Strauss. He has also recorded with the Boston Symphony Orchestra for Deutsche Grammophon.
His albums with the Boston Symphony Orchestra have won several awards. Their album Under Stalin's Shadow won a Grammy Award in 2015. It was for best orchestral performance. He won two more Grammy Awards in 2016 and 2018 for similar recordings. In 2019, he released all of Beethoven's symphonies with the Vienna Philharmonic.
In December 2019 and January 2020, Nelsons conducted the famous Vienna New Year's Concert. This was with the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra. He even played a trumpet solo during the concert! This was special because he was the first conductor to play a solo who wasn't a violinist.
Personal Life
Andris Nelsons is married to Alice Heidler. He has a daughter named Adriana Anna, born in 2011. Nelsons has practiced Taekwondo for a long time. He earned his black belt in November 2022.
See also
In Spanish: Andris Nelsons para niños
