Clarinets

Sergey Eletskiy

In the orchestra since 2011

Sergey Eletskiy is one of the most talented clarinet players of his generation. Born in 1989 in Moscow, he graduated with honors from the Central Music College (under the supervision of Honored Artist of Russia and Bolshoi Theatre soloist, V. Ferapontov) and later from the Moscow State Conservatory (professor: E. Petrov). He also studied at the Lübeck Academy of Music in Germany (professor: R. Wehle).

In 2012, Sergey Eletskiy became the first Russian clarinetist to win one of the oldest and most prestigious world competitions, ARD (Munich, Germany). This was followed by numerous awards at international competitions, including the 1st place at the Carl Nielsen competition (Odense, Denmark, 2013) and the 1st place at the International Clarinetist Competition in Ghent, Belgium (2015)

HOW DO YOU WORK ON SOLO PARTS WITH TEODOR?

Teodor always knows exactly what he wants to hear from the orchestra in general and from the soloists in particular. He offers non-standard approaches to the part and tries to get his ideas across to the musician. On stage, I turn to the composer's idea expressed in the score, Teodor's point of view and, combining them, I project them on my own interpretation of this music. In the rehearsals, we follow Teodor's comments, but as it often happens, when you do something differently at a concert, bring your own vision to the music, he approves of it.

WHAT KIND OF CLARINET ARE YOU PLAYING NOW?

Most of the wind instruments are manufactured serially by certain establishments. The clarinet I play is a rare example of an artisanal instrument in this sense: every detail is brought to perfection by hand. My instrument was made to order by the German master Jochen Zeggelke — there are only two more clarinets created by him in Russia. I bought it eight years ago at a large clarinet exhibition in Madrid: its timbre stood out among all instruments that were presented there.

WOULD YOU LIKE YOUR CHILDREN TO BECOME MUSICIANS TOO?

My youngest daughter is just over six months old, while the eldest is five years old. So far, the older one does not seek to master any kind of instrument, and I do not think I will push her. Children will commune with music anyway, given my and my wife’s profession: they come to rehearsals and concerts, communicate with our musician-friends, and listen to classical music at home.

WHAT DO YOU LISTEN TO IN YOUR FREE TIME?

There is a huge variety of music in my playlist, ranging from jazz to rock, from Miles Davis and Jacques Lucier to Muse and Russian rock band DDT. There is even room for a pop-singer Valery Meladze, whose songs I really like to sing in karaoke.

WHAT DOES YOUR PERFECT VACATION LOOK LIKE?

I like to relax at the seaside: spend time with my family somewhere in a secluded place, listening to the sound of the breaking waves. My work allows me to travel a lot, discover beautiful locations, but I always have a desire to share these emotions with my wife and children.