When Simon Rattle left the Berlin Philharmonic – by tradition, expectation and occasional reality the finest orchestra on earth – the job of chief conductor passed to Kirill Petrenko. Leaving many earthlings asking: “Kirill who?”
Outside Germany, where he held opera house positions in Berlin and Munich, Petrenko wasn’t high profile. And here in Britain he was confused with Vasily Petrenko (no relation) who conducts the Liverpool Philharmonic. So there was some sorting out to do. And his appearance with the Berliners over two nights at the Proms last week drew packed audiences, curious to see him.
