At the top in Toulouse

Following three years as Principal Guest Conductor of the Orchestre National du Capitole de Toulouse, Tugan Sokhiev will become Music Director of the orchestra from the beginning of the 2008/9 season.

Since his initial appointment in September 2005, Mr. Sokhiev has received wide critical acclaim and has maintained the orchestra's profile as one of the very best in France. The extension of his contract is testament to the very strong relationship that he has built up with the orchestra and his artistic vision for the future.

Mr Sokhiev has appeared with the orchestra throughout France, Spain, Germany and Austria, and his concert with Magdalena Kozena at the Théâtre des Champs-Elysées in 2006 was awarded the 'Révélation Musicale de l'Année' by the French Critics' Union. He made his first recording in Summer 2006 (Tchaikovsky's Fourth Symphony and Mussorgsky's 'Pictures') and released his second disc (Prokoviev's 'Peter and the Wolf) in late 2007, both to excellent reviews.

The recent announcement was made by the new Mayor of Toulouse, Pierre Cohen, who is a staunch supporter of the orchestra and sees it as one of the city's key strengths in securing the bid to become European Capital of Culture in 2013.

Mr Sokhiev said: "I am delighted to be staying in Toulouse and am very much looking forward to many more fantastic years of music-making."

29 May, 2008

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Tugan Sokhiev

Contact: Rona Eastwood or Mark Thompson