First Violins

Vadim Teifikov

In the orchestra since 2011

Vadim Teifikov graduated from the Moscow Tchaikovsky Conservatory in 2005 (Professor M.S. Glezarova’s class), and in 2008 he completed postgraduate studies there (Professor M.S. Glezarova’s class).

He is the bursar of the New Names Foundation in Moscow, a participant of the New Names summer courses in Suzdal (1994-1996), and the laureate of the Symphony International Competition (First Prize). From 2003 to 2011 he worked as an artist of the Russian National Orchestra under the baton of Mikhail Pletnev.

Since 2011 he has been a soloist of the musicAeterna orchestra conducted by Teodor Currentzis.

As a soloist, Vadim Teifikov has performed with Russian symphonic and chamber orchestras, namely musicAeterna, the Russian National Orchestra, the Volgograd Academic Symphony Orchestra, the Philharmonic Orchestra of the Caucasian Mineral Waters, the Smolensk Symphony Orchestra, as well as the Dubna Symphony Orchestra.

As a soloist and a member of chamber ensembles, he has annually taken part in the Diaghilev Festival, the Camerata Festival (Perm), as well as in the International Economic Forum (St. Petersburg), the Ruhrtriennale Festival (Bochum, Germany), and the Salzburg Festival (Austria). He has participated in a series of concerts held at the Higher School of Economics (Moscow). He took part in the International Laureates Festival (Slovenia, Austria, USA).

Vadim Teifikov is the founder, organizer and participant of a series of concerts in collaboration with pianist Alexey Suchkov at the private Philharmonic Triumph (Perm). He is a member of the Ludwig string trio along with artists of the Russian National Orchestra. The ensemble toured the cities of Russia and abroad and participated in the subscription concerts of the Moscow Tchaikovsky Conservatory (2006-2010).

Can you remember your strongest musical impression as a child?

Once, when I was little and there was no one to babysit me, my father took me to an open-air concert and let sit next to him — my parents worked in the Tomsk Philharmonic Symphony Orchestra at that time. That day the orchestra was performing Tchaikovsky's Symphony No. 6 — I remember it was very loud when the brass section was playing.

What is the difference between various performing schools?

I like it when one moves away from generalizations and does not single out different schools' styles of performance, because it divides our professional world. My teachers were representatives of both St. Petersburg and Moscow schools — I am immensely grateful to all of them. From my point of view, the development of a musician is not limited to just one particular tradition. Different performing schools focus on different professional techniques and criteria, and that's fine. The main thing is not to let a broad outlook turn into a narrow-minded point of view. To a greater extent, a musician is influenced by the environment where they find themselves. It is difficult to overestimate the opportunity I had to study and absorb different, sometimes polarized views.

What's on your playlist right now?

I'm a fan of old school. Pyotr Leshchenko, Doris Day, Vertinsky, Kreisler, Thibaud, Cortot. The music of the romantic era is also close to me in spirit.

Do you remember the first concert with musicAeterna?

I remember the first time I attended a musicAeterna rehearsal in Moscow — back then the orchestra came from Novosibirsk and rehearsed in the Orchestrion Concert Hall. I absolutely loved everything about it: the quality, the sound, the uncompromising attitude to the result. That moment I thought: "It would be great to play together." A year later, it happened.

What does musicAeterna mean to you?

It is the place of creative freedom and inspiration, real synergy with excellent professionals in their field.