Sergey Neller is a conductor, composer, and pianist whose repertoire centers on the German tradition — particularly Wagner, Strauss, and the Second Viennese School — as well as on lesser-known works of the twentieth century. His concert programs are conceived as coherent, dramaturgically structured forms rather than thematic compilations. Critics and audiences have praised his intellectual intensity, structural command, and ability to shape extended musical forms with clarity and expressive force.
He gained international attention as Second Prize Winner of the Gustav Mahler Conducting Competition in Bamberg. Since then, he has worked with the Bamberg Symphony, Royal Scottish National Orchestra, Mariinsky Orchestra, Ulster Orchestra, Philharmonie Zuidnederland, Oulu Symphony, Slovak Philharmonic, Verbier Festival Junior Orchestra, Neue Philharmonie Hamburg, Philharmonisches Orchester Erfurt, Győr Philharmonic Orchestra, and others. In addition to his symphonic engagements, he frequently performs Classical concertos — especially Mozart — in a dual role as conductor and pianist, a practice he has explored with several orchestras in Europe and the United States.
His operatic work includes Shchedrin’s Lolita at the Prague National Theatre, Strauss’s Ariadne auf Naxos and Die Frau ohne Schatten at the Mariinsky Theatre, and Don Giovanni at Theater Erfurt. He also participated in masterclasses with the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra under Daniele Gatti.
As a composer, Neller received the Mstislav Rostropovich Foundation Prize for his opera Tintagiles, based on a play by Maurice Maeterlinck. His second opera, Phaedra, was created in collaboration with playwright and poet Alexey Parin. As a pianist, he won several international competitions and performed across Europe, North America, and Australia.
At the center of his current artistic work is The Medtner Code: Total Edition, a long-term international project dedicated to the complete recording of Nikolai Medtner’s works by the year 2030. As founder and artistic director, Neller designs the repertoire, performs as both pianist and conductor, and collaborates with a growing network of international musicians. The project is accompanied by the creation of a dedicated record label and aims to document Medtner’s legacy within a coherent artistic and intellectual framework. Each recording is accompanied by Neller’s own commentary, combining structural insight with poetic reflection.
Photo © Martin Shields