Aziz Shokhakimov

Kapellmeister Deutsche Oper am Rhein
Principal Guest Conductor La Verdi Orchestra, Milan
Artistic Director of Tekfen Philharmonic Orchestra

Aziz Shokhakimov burst on to the music scene at the age of just 21 when he won the Gustav Mahler International Conducting Competition in Bamberg, under the auspices of the Bamberger Symphoniker. Since then he has conducted distinguished orchestras such as Staatskapelle Dresden, Kammerphilharmonie Bremen, SWR Sinfonieorchester, HR-Sinfonieorchester, Deutsches Sinfonieorchester Berlin, London Philharmonic Orchestra and the Orgeon, Pacific and Houston Symphony orchestras.

In the 2019/20 season Shokhakimov makes his debut with Wiener Symphoniker, conducts Qatar Philharmonic Orchestra, four concerts with Slovenian Philharmonic Orchestra, RAI National Symphony Orchestra with pianist Seong-Jin Cho and WDR Sinfonieorchester with cellist Camille Thomas. He returns to North America conducting Utah Symphony Orchestra with pianist Lukáš Vondráček and Toronto Symphony Orchestra with cellist Joseph Johnson and to Japan conducting Yomiuri Nippon Symphony Orchestra in two concerts.

Next to his symphonic career Shokhakimov is also active in opera. He has held the position of Kapellmeister at Deutsche Oper am Rhein since 2015 and this season conducts b.36 (with music of Tchaikovsky’s Swan Lake), Puccini’s Tosca, Tchaikovsky’s The Queen of Spades and Strauss’ Salome. He also conducts a new production of Rimsky-Korsakov’s The Golden Cockerel directed by Barrie Kosky at Festival d’Aix-en-Provence.

Shokhakimov has an ongoing relationship with Salzburg Festival where, having been selected from more than 100 candidates, he won the prestigious Salzburg Festival Young Conductors Award in August 2016. He returned to the Salzburg Festival in August 2017 for the prize-winner’s concert with RSO Wien and conducted the Opening Ceremony of Salzburg Festival with Patricia Kopatchinskaja in 2019.

Previous season highlights include a successful step-in for Yuri Temirkanov with Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France, returns to Deutsche Kammerphilharmonie Bremen, Düsseldorf Symphoniker, RAI Torino and a new, highly acclaimed production of The Queen of Spades at the Deutsche Oper am Rhein. His most recent debuts include with Orchestre National de Lyon, Antwerp Symphony Orchestra and MDR Leipzig.