Alexander Alexandrovich Shanin, Distinguished Artist of Russia

Born in Belarus, in the village Borovukha, Vitebsk region. The first lesson in music he received in the Minsk special music school. In 1974/1979 he studied in the Moscow State Conservatory, in 1979/1982 he was a post-graduate student under outstanding violinst and teacher, professor Dmitry Tsyganov.

In 1982 he was accepted to the State Symphony Orchestra of the Ministry of culture of the USSR directed by Gennady Rozhdestvensky.

In 1990 Shanin became the leader of the State Symphony Capella of the Ministry of culture of the USSR (conducted by Gennady Rozhdestvensky and Valery Polyansky). In this capacity Shanin took part in many concerts at many prestigious world stages, such as Lincoln Center (New York), Kennedy Center (Washington), Musikverein (Vienna), Gewandhaus (Leipzig), Jahrhunderthalle (Frankfurt), Barbican-centre (London), The Karajan Hall in the Berlin Philarmony, concert halls in Tokyo, Taibei, Helsinki, Barselona, Prague etc. In 1992 in New York Carnegie Hall that was celebrating its 100-anniversary those days The State Capella performed the Third Suite by Tchaikovsky where violin solo was brilliant performed by Shanin. His love for Tchaikovsky's heritage this outstanding musician has brought throughout all his life, he once acknowledged: «In this really genius music the most important thing for me is its overwhelming passion. Very well-known lyric themes that sing the glory of love will nobody remain indifferent. Tchaikovsky is upholding us over the usual way of things, gives us a hope for happiness and harmony».

In 1990s Shanin started working both ways trying to cooperate artistic performance, teaching activity (he conducted a class of violin in the Gnessin music college and the Moscow State conservatory) and administrative activity.

In 1995 he was appointed general directorof the State Symphony Capella of Russia.

Since 2003 he also keeps the post of the manager of the Bolshoi theatre orchestra. In his competence there is also a musical and instrumental suuply and musical library of the Bolshoi.

Such a unique precedent of the successful management and administration was marked in 2011 by the National all-Russian newspaper «Musical review». Shanin was called «the Person of the Year» in the nomination of «the Director of the Year». The newspaper has presented his as «a representative of the elite core of the musical managers and administrarors of the musical life of Russia». It was also noted that he is «a musician by education, a talented director by fate, he understands and solves successfully the problems of musicians, creates the comfortable conditions for their work”.

   On the hands of the general director of the State Capella is practical realization of all its creative projects, planning of the concerts, its tours for the long period of time. With great success and resonance in millieu of professionals and connoisseurs of music have been conducted unique monographic festivals such as «Rachmaninov. The collection of masterpieces», «Music for all the times (dedicated to the 175-anniversary of Tchaikovsky), different opera performances were also organized in Moscow and provincial towns of Russia, a great assistance was rended to the premiers of works by modern composers.