Sergey Neller is a German composer, pianist and conductor born in Russia. In 2016 he won 2nd prize at the Gustav Mahler Conducting Competition in Bamberg (Germany). With the Bamberger Symphoniker he has recorded works by Shostakovich for the Bayerischer Rundfunk. Among his recent engagements are debuts with the South Netherlands Philharmonic, the Mariinsky Orchestra, the Szczecin Philharmonic Orchestra (Poland), the Janáček Philharmonic Orchestra in Ostrava (Czech Republic), and the Ulster Orchestra (United Kingdom), the Oulu Symphony Orchestra (Finland), and the Nuremberg Symphony Orchestra (Germany), as well as the Philharmonie Zuidnederland.
In 2018 he worked with the Jacksonville Symphony in Florida. In 2019, he was Music Director and Conductor at the Národní Divadlo (National Theatre) in Prague of a new production of Rodion Shchedrin’s opera Lolita.
In addition to his symphonic engagements, he frequently performs classical concertos – particularly those by Mozart – as both conductor and pianist.
As a composer, Neller received the Mstislav Rostropovich Foundation Prize for his opera Tintagiles, based on a play by Maurice Maeterlinck. His second opera, Phèdre, was created in collaboration with playwright and poet Alexei Parine.
In January 2023, Sergey recorded Piano Concerto No. 4 “Air” with the concert pianist Svetlana Andreeva and the symphonic poem “Dawn“ as part of the world premiere recording of works by French composer Christian Schittenhelm with the Royal Scottish National Orchestra, along with his personal interpretation of Claude Debussy’s Prélude à l’après-midi d’un faune.
The young conductor was discovered by SFUMATO Records in April 2022, when concert pianist Svetlana Andreeva, recorded the album Synesthesia at the Teldex Studios in Berlin.
At the heart 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 2030. As founder and artistic director, Neller curates the repertoire, performs both as pianist and conductor, and collaborates with a growing network of international musicians.
Among his upcoming engagements are an opera gala at Hamburg’s Laeiszhalle with Olga Peretyatko and Marcelo Álvarez, a concert tour with the Győr Philharmonic Orchestra, and two productions at the Erfurt Theatre – Don Giovanni and a symphonic program. Additional symphonic and operatic collaborations are in development, continuing the expansion of his artistic activities in Europe and beyond.
