Current chief
conductor of the Slovak National Theatre Bratislava was born on November 26,
In 1996 he
became conductor of Slovak National Theatre.
He gave his
debut in the opera Mepfistopfeles (Boito) when he
stepped in to replace a sick colleague - since that day he has received a
number of opportunities. He performed the following operas at the Slovak
National Theatre Opera: The Barber of Seville (Rossini), The Magic Flute
(Mozart), Cosi fan tutte
(Mozart), The Bartered Bride (Smetana), Nabucco
(Verdi), The Maid of Orleans (Tchaikovsky), Andrea Chenier (Giordano), Falstaff
(Verdi), Tosca (Puccini), La fille de regiment
(Donizetti, 2004), Un ballo in maschera
(Verdi, 2004) and the ballets Andersen (Nedbal), Spartakus (Kchachaturjan) and Sylphide (Lovenskjold). His
repertoire at this venue currently includes Tosca (Puccini), Cosi fan tutte (Mozart), Falstaff
(Verdi), Lucia di Lammermoore
(Donizetti), Werther (Massenet), La Traviata (Verdi), Carmen (Bizet)...
In 1997, the
SME Magazine wrote: "A conductor Rastislav Stur's name is a new
phenomenon in a group of the professionals. He had to face not only a difficult
task to win recognition in the Slovak National Theatre but also to try to
continue recent Mozartovian success achieved by Kosler in the early 1970's. The talented artist succeeded
in this to a great extends. He managed to find appropriate and contrasting
tempo, worked honestly with the orchestra, which resulted in plastic and
dynamic sound and coordination. It was almost possible to hear typical Mozartovian optimism."
Stur
conducted 12 performances of La Traviata with Slovak
National Theatre Opera on Japan Tour 2004 (with Peter Dvorsky
and Maria Guleghina).
He conducted
concert with Moscow Philharmonic Orchestra in Moscow 2004.
He continues
to have engagements with the Janacek opera house in Brno where, after his debut
with the ballet Tristan und Isolda (Burghauser), he performed the children´s opera Jinks with
the Devil (Podest), Il Trovatore
(Verdi), the ballets Batallion (Fiser),
Daphnis et Chloe (Ravel) and Les Biches
(Poulenc).
His Brno
experience has been decribed the best in Mlada Fronta Dnes
- the largest and most prestigeous Czech newspaper: " Several faces of ballet . The performance of the
choir was really praiseworthy, mainly the one of the orchestra from Janacek's
opera, which played surprisingly courageously with unprecedented energy, very
familiar with the difficult passages of Ravels music. The young conductor Rastilslav Stur is one of the
best conductors acting in Brno ."
In December
1999 he joined the Orchestra Philharmonique de
Strasbourg in a performance of The Bartered Bride (Smetana) at the National du Rhin Opera House, together with soloists from all over the
world (Barbara Haveman, Walter Fink…).
Just to
mention a few of his most recent highlights: he conducted Peter Dvorsky´s concerts with Montserrat Caballe
in Bratislava (2000) - PRAVDA, 4.12.2000 "In love with Stur".. " I am satisfied with
the orchestra and I fell in love with the conductor Rastislav
Stur. Apparently, this young man lives fully from
music ", said Montserrat Caballe, with
Gabriela Benackova in Prague ( Prague Symphony
Orchestra 2000), with Eva Urbanová and Jelena Obraztsova ( Prague
Symphony Orchestra 2002), with Ilona Tokody ( Prague Symphony Orchestra 2003), with Anatoly Kotcherga (Czech National Symphony Orchestra 2006), with
Ute Lemper (Prague PROMS 2007), with Paata Burchuladze (2009).
Stur
conducted Spectre´s Bride (Dvorak) with Sao Paolo
Symphony Orchestra in Sao Paolo, Brasil 2005 (Urbanova, Ludha, Mikulas).
He also
conducted in the opera houses of Graz - The Elixir of Love (Donizetti), Giessen
- The Barber of Seville (Rossini), Essen - Cosi fan tutte (Mozart), concert with Die Sudwestdeutsche
Philharmonie and Heinrich Schiff in Konstanz 2004,
concert with Moscow Philharmonic Orchestra in Moscow 2004, he was also the main
propagonist in a Gala concert with Cairo Symphony
Orchestra (Egypt)...
Stur
has been working regulary with Peter Dvorsky since 1999, either for important performances at
the Slovak National Opera or concerts. He recorded CD "Vivere"
with Peter Dvorsky and The Prague Philharmonia
(2001).
He conducted
concerts tours with Czech virtuosi (2000) and Ostrava Philharmonic Orchestra
(2002/03) in Spain .
Stur is
conductor of Slovak Philharmonic Orchestra (CD with Jolana
Fogasova 2000, concerts in Bratislava
, concert in Kölner Philharmonie
2003 and 2006, Interlaken 2005...)
He conducted
many concerts with Prague Symphony Orchestra (in Prague ,
Nürnberg 2003, Wroclaw 2004, 26 concerts on USA Tour
2005, Merseburg 2005...).