Kirill Karabits

"Kirill Karabits is often regarded predominantly as a Russian specialist. But it's increasingly clear he is a much more versatile musician than that, and in particular a pretty exceptional Beethoven interpreter." (Andrew Clements, The Guardian, April 2013)

"In his latest concert with the Royal Philharmonic, Kirill Karabits turned to Tchaikovsky's First Symphony in a performance of great insight and beauty. It served as a reminder both of what an original piece it is and of what a fine conductor Karabits has become…. [His] interpretation was taut, mercurial and sharply focused, with a subtle sense of dynamic gradation and a telling but discreet emphasis on Tchaikovsky's shifting instrumental colours.” (Tim Ashley, The Guardian, March 2013)

“The baton of Kirill Karabits stretched the aleatoric, improvisatory elements of the music [Lutoslawski’s Cello Concerto] to breaking point…. The BSO gave their all to the evening’s concluding performance of Tchaikovsky’s Third Symphony. Thanks to Karabits’ vigorous direction there were times when this music, too, could sound new and startling.” (Hilary Finch, The Times, January 2013)

“The performance was admirable in every way, from the high energy of the fast movements to the beauty of the slow. Details were exact in spirit and precision, like the bawdy exclamations of the trombones in the first movement and the wind playing throughout the score.” (Richard Todd, Ottawa Citizen, January 2013)

“Kirill Karabits and his Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra go from strength to strength. Karabits' programming consistently proves his fine musicianship but also his shrewd, scholarly, instinct for bringing less familiar repertoire to the platform…  He adopted a similar approach to Prokofiev's last symphony, No 7 in C sharp minor, Op 131, a work often dismissed for its relative simplicity and lyricism. With the focus on a direct, unsentimental performance, eliciting beautiful string-playing from the BSO and the brittle aura of the tuned percussion writing, Karabits actually succeeded in revealing some of Prokofiev's painful unease at the very end of his life."  (Rian Evans, The Guardian, November 2012)

"How would Tchaikovsky’s olde worlde angst shape up after all this? Well, the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra had certainly endured a workout, and muscle was lithe, energy maximised for the Fifth Symphony. Karabits had clearly rehearsed some meticulously shaped detail. But what characterised this performance above all was its galvanised strength and relentless momentum." (The Times, November 2012)

“Most of the night’s excitement comes from the pit... In the wintry third act, famously ushered in with minor-key flute and harp, Karabits spotlights the London Philharmonic Orchestra’s lead flautists and harpist. That highly evocative chill is typical of the exquisite, precise playing he coaxes from the players”. (The Arts Desk, June 2012)

“He loves to programme Russian music, and the orchestra loves to play it…. It began with the tiny Stravinsky curtain-raiser Fireworks, which sent off multicoloured harmonic sparks like a Rimsky-Korsakov magic scene played with the fast-forward button held down. That I expected, but in this performance there was something else, an intriguing hint of Scriabin’s mystic sheen, which I’d never heard before.” (The Telegraph, April 2012)

"Karabits is part of this young generation of Russian conductors who shine everywhere right now. Still not even 40, his technique, using minimal gestures, demonstrates exemplary precision and clarity. He makes most of the nuances of every instrument...” (La Provence, February 2012)

"... Karabits has had a significant impact on the orchestra since his arrival there two years ago,...Karabits’s discerning, sure-footed approach gives the symphony terrific cohesion and grandeur of stature... Karabits is an inspired architect....He has an energising presence on the podium, without being domineering...he paced the whirlwind finale in a way that brought the house down. (The Telegraph, November 2011)