About Ilan Volkov

Born in Israel in 1976, Ilan Volkov began his conducting career at the age of nineteen. Following studies at London’s Royal College of Music he secured positions as Principal Conductor of the London Philharmonic Youth Orchestra and Assistant Conductor of the Boston Symphony. In 2003 he was appointed Principal Conductor of the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra and subsequently became its Principal Guest Conductor in 2009. Volkov became Music Director and Principal Conductor of the Iceland Symphony Orchestra at the beginning of the 2011/12 season.

Since 2012 he curates and directs a festival of contemporary music, Tectonics, exploring works by Icelandic composers and introducing world premieres. Tectonics features pro- grammes of classical modern music combined with other new music genres such as improvi- sation, electronics and rock. In 2014 Tectonics expanded with a residency at the Adelaide Festival, as well as events in Reykjavik, Glasgow and Tel Aviv.

A frequent guest with leading orchestras worldwide, Ilan Volkov works regularly with a wide range of ensembles, including the Israel Philharmonic, the National Symphony Orchestra Washington, the Orchestre de Paris, the BBC Symphony, the City of Birmingham Symphony, the SWR Sinfonieorchester Freiburg, Ensemble Modern and Ensemble musikFabrik.

His many critically acclaimed recordings include a Gramophone Award – winning disc of Britten's complete works for piano and orchestra with Steven Osborne. His disc of works by Jonathan Harvey, Body Mandala, received a Gramophone Award in 2008; his recording of Harvey’s Speakings won the prestigious Monaco Prize and the Prix Caecilia de l'Union de la Presse Musicale Belge in 2011.

Ilan Volkov is one of the guiding forces behind the performance venue Levontin 7 in Tel Aviv