Valentin Zhuk
Concertmaster, Dutch Radio Symphony Orchestra and Professor of Violin, Sweelink Conservatory of Music
Valentin Zhuk was born in Moscow. He came to his musical heritage naturally. His father, Isaak Zhuk, was concertmaster of the Bolshoi Theatre Orchestra and later of the State Symphony Orchestra. He became immensely popular as the first violin of the Bolshoi String Quartet. Valentin began to play violin at the age of six when he entered the Central School of Music in Moscow. Later, he continued his studies at the Moscow Conservatory. Valentin studied with Abram Yampolsky, one of the greatest violin pedagogues of all time and completed his graduate studies with Leonid Kogan.
Mr. Zhuk won top prizes in the Tchaikovsky International Competition in Moscow, the Marguerite Long-Jacques Thibaut competition in Paris and the Paganini Contest in Genoa. For nearly half a century, Mr. Zhuk has been active as a soloist, conductor, and leader of various chamber music groups. In addition he has released numerous recordings. For many years Valentin Zhuk served as concertmaster of the Moscow Philharmonic Orchestra. During that time, he appeared as recitalist and soloist with such conductors as Kirill Kondrashin, Evgeny Svetlanov, Gennady Rojdestvensky and many others. Additionally, he was artistic director of the Chamber orchestra “Soloists of the Moscow Philharmonic”, where a number of distinguished musicians such as David Oistrakh and Mstislav Rostropovich appeared as guest conductors. In 1986, Valentin Zhuk received the title “People’s Artist of Russia”. Presently, Mr. Zhuk lives in the Netherlands, where he became known as concertmaster of the Dutch Radio Symphony Orchestra, professor of the Sweelinck Conservatory in Amsterdam, as a soloist, and a conductor.
He is often invited to work with youth orchestras as a coach. Mr. Zhuk regularly participates in the Peninsula Music Festival, USA. In 1996 V. Zhuk worked with the Chamber and Symphony Orchestras of the Northwestern University in Illinois, USA. He is a regular coach with the National Youth Orchestra of Canada. His elder son Evgeny is concertmaster of the Opera and Ballet Theatre in Stuttgart, Germany. His younger son, Alexander, is concertmaster of the New World Symphony in Miami, Florida.
Mr. Zhuk won top prizes in the Tchaikovsky International Competition in Moscow, the Marguerite Long-Jacques Thibaut competition in Paris and the Paganini Contest in Genoa. For nearly half a century, Mr. Zhuk has been active as a soloist, conductor, and leader of various chamber music groups. In addition he has released numerous recordings. For many years Valentin Zhuk served as concertmaster of the Moscow Philharmonic Orchestra. During that time, he appeared as recitalist and soloist with such conductors as Kirill Kondrashin, Evgeny Svetlanov, Gennady Rojdestvensky and many others. Additionally, he was artistic director of the Chamber orchestra “Soloists of the Moscow Philharmonic”, where a number of distinguished musicians such as David Oistrakh and Mstislav Rostropovich appeared as guest conductors. In 1986, Valentin Zhuk received the title “People’s Artist of Russia”. Presently, Mr. Zhuk lives in the Netherlands, where he became known as concertmaster of the Dutch Radio Symphony Orchestra, professor of the Sweelinck Conservatory in Amsterdam, as a soloist, and a conductor.
He is often invited to work with youth orchestras as a coach. Mr. Zhuk regularly participates in the Peninsula Music Festival, USA. In 1996 V. Zhuk worked with the Chamber and Symphony Orchestras of the Northwestern University in Illinois, USA. He is a regular coach with the National Youth Orchestra of Canada. His elder son Evgeny is concertmaster of the Opera and Ballet Theatre in Stuttgart, Germany. His younger son, Alexander, is concertmaster of the New World Symphony in Miami, Florida.