Backstage in the concert hall, Nikolay Shugaev is ready for a performance in his multifaceted career. For the first time, the accomplished cellist will conduct, embodying the versatility one has come to expect from him. Shugaev's artistic journey spans from Shostakovich's intricate scores to cutting-edge experimental works and from intimate chambers in St. Petersburg to the grandeur of New York's most prestigious venues. "Each performance is a new discovery," reflects Nikolay. "Whether due to an unexpected audience reaction or a fresh view on a savagely familiar score, change is at the very heart of what we do."
Upon entering the stage, Shugaev ascended to the conductor's podium. His move resulted directly from his stiff cello training and considerable performance experience. "The journey from a cellist to a conductor is often paved with years of hard-goal practice and painstaking study," he says. "While my primary focus is now on conducting, my experience as a cellist is extremely beneficial. It enables me to relate better to not only the music but also the musicians, fusing together the score and the sound." It is in this special light that Shugaev can establish interpretations that satisfy both performers and audiences alike.
Shugaev isn't content with mastering only the classical repertoire. On the one hand, he is gifted in playing the music of Beethoven and Brahms; on the other, he is keen to interact with contemporary musical innovations, actively seeking them out. "Speaking about classical music's eternal sustainability, Nikolay mentions its ability to absorb new elements while sustaining musical identity," Nikolay reflects. This mindset is present in the work of the Neo ensemble, which received a nomination for the prestigious Nordic Council Music Prize.
The conductor is deeply immersed in contemporary classical music through active collaboration with living composers and his work as a jury member for the Andrei Petrov Competition, one of the most important composing competitions in Russia. "Being around contemporary composers and studying new compositions keeps me on the pulse of contemporary music," Shugaev says. "Being a participant in moulding the future in our art form is exhilarating. And that little piece that floors you, that makes you rethink what you've known—that's where you remember you gave your life to this art."
Shugaev considers his task to popularise quality contemporary music. "My task is to be something like a guide," he explains. "To help the listener find something in contemporary music that resonates with their soul." His passion for the new nourishes not only his own creative efforts but also opens up further horizons for the public.
When it comes to creativity in musical art, Shugaev widens his reach beyond that of performance. His energy and vision have found another important expression through the organisation of musical events.
Through his direction as vice president of the Habana Clásica festival in Cuba, Shugaev's influence is also beginning to educate audiences far beyond the concert hall. Having run for six years now, this festival is indeed a main venue for established stars and emergent talents to converge. "To organise a festival is like conducting, only on a grand scale," Shugaev says. "It means arranging not just musicians or instruments, but rather controlling hundreds of logistical things, mingling different schools of ideas for artistic expression." This has opened up the immense world of thinking for Shugaev to see music from the standpoint of a performer and as a creator of cultural events.
The musical story of Shugaev goes far beyond his home country, which has received a wealth of insights from world experiences. "Each country is like a new score," Nikolay says about international projects. "I learned about the art of silence in music in Japan and the inexhaustible energy of rhythm in Brazil. This is invaluable experience for a conductor."
Shugaev feels that each orchestra has its unique sound emanating from its cultural traditions and performance schools. "To conduct is to conduct not just an orchestra but an entire country and its history and culture," he argues. "This is the true art of conducting."
Nikolay sees his role not just in managing an orchestra but in cultural mediation. "I strive to bring the best of the Russian performing tradition to my work with foreign ensembles," he says. "But it's also important to be able to hear and understand local peculiarities. A conductor is a diplomat of music."
For Shugaev, every musician is called to unite different musical worlds. "Music transcends linguistic and cultural barriers," he concludes. "And our mission is to help people from different cultures hear and understand each other through this language."
After concerts, Nikolay is often surrounded by young musicians and students eager for advice or approval. Journalists frequently ask his opinion on the new generation of performers. "Every time I'm asked to evaluate young musicians, I feel a bit uncomfortable," Shugaev admits with a slight smile. "It's as if I'm being asked to peek into the future of music. But I'm learning every day myself, including from the youth."
When discussing young talents, Nikolay Shugaev can't help but mention a recent discovery that left a profound impression on him. "Sometimes there are moments when you listen to a performer and suddenly realise—this is something special," Shugaev shares. "That's exactly what happened when I first heard Alexandra Massaleva."
Shugaev recalls a concert at the Palermo Classica Winter Festival in January 2023. "I found myself there almost by chance, passing through, but that performance stayed with me," he says. "Alexandra was playing works by contemporary French composers Michel Sogny and Ferenc Liszt. Her interpretation was astonishing—technically flawless, yet filled with deep understanding and feeling."
"What struck me most about Alexandra," Shugaev continues, "is her ability to immerse herself completely in the music. It seems that for her, nothing exists except the piece she's performing at that moment. Her playing showed a profound understanding of each composer's style. She conveyed both classical rigour and romantic impulse, particularly in Liszt's pieces."
"Ever since that concert, I have been keeping up with Alexandra's performances through various social media and music publications," he confesses. "It is interesting to see her repertoire expanding and her interpretations developing. She's tackling increasingly complex pieces with remarkable maturity."
"It is indeed a rare gift," Shugaev concludes, "to be able to penetrate so powerfully into the heart of a piece of music and yet convey it to the listener with such clarity and power. Alexandra possesses this gift in great abundance, and I am excited to see how her career develops."
"Then," Nikolay goes on, "there's Alexander Malofeev. Only 22, yet so mature musically. It's unusual to see someone combine exceptional technique with even more exceptional emotional maturity. And what's particularly appealing is the sincerity in his playing, the absence of any pretence. Then there's Shio Okui—that's a completely different story. I first heard her recording from the Hamamatsu competition. Shio has an amazing musical intuition. She plays as if she's having a personal dialogue with the composer. It's a rare gift—to be able to find your own voice in familiar pieces."
Shugaev concludes: "What delights me about these young musicians? They're seeking their own path in music, their own understanding. And that's perhaps the most important thing. After all, this is how art evolves—through new perspectives, through bold interpretations. Looking at such performers, I'm confident: classical music has a future."
As Shugaev reflects on these promising young artists and his own evolving career, he turns his gaze to the broader future of classical music.
Though contemplating the future of classical music, Shugaev is optimistic and passionate. "Classical music is an evolving living art," he asserted. "Our mission as musicians is to bridge the gap between sound compositions from centuries ago and our audiences." Shugaev sees the blurring of the boundaries of music as a chance, as evidenced by varied concert programs that freely weave Bach with Gubaidulina or Shostakovich with electronic music. "It is our task to thread that commonality in the tapestry of sounds, to spark the type of magic that transforms mere notes into deep art. Classical music lives and thrives, so long as there are always people who will hear it ready to listen, with open hearts and minds."
