in Cologne until 2010, during which time he made a series of recordings including Brahms' Symphonies No. 1–4, Shostakovich's Symphonies Nos. 4, 7, 8, 10 and 11, Mahler's Symphony No. 3, Rachmaninov's The Bells and Symphonic Dances, Richard Strauss' Ein Heldenleben and Eine Alpensinfonie, Verdi's Requiem, as well as Strauss' Elektra, Daphne and Wagner's Lohengrin which won BBC Music Magazine's Record of the Year 2010. Bychkov made his debut at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden in 2003 with a new production of Elektra, and returned later that year to conduct Boris Godunov. In 2012, he assumed the newly created Günter Wand Conducting Chair with the BBC Symphony Orchestra, a post specially created for him. He holds the Otto Klemperer Chair of Conducting at the Royal Academy of Music in London. In 2013, Bychkov first guest-conducted the Czech Philharmonic. With the orchestra, Bychkov is director of its Tchaikovsky Project. In October 2017, the Czech Philharmonic announced the appointment of Bychkov as its next chief conductor and music director, effective with the 2018-2019 season. In September 2022, the Czech Philharmonic announced the extension of Bychkov's contract through 2028. Bychkov was named Conductor of the Year by the International Opera Awards in 2015. He became an Honorary Member of the Royal Academy of Music (Hon RAM) in 2015 and received from the same institution an Honorary Doctorate of the University of London (Hon DMus) in 2022. Personal life Bychkov is married to the pianist Marielle Labèque, his second wife, and they live together on the Côte Basque French Basque country. Selected discography References External links Semyon Bychkov official website Article 'Semyon Bychkov - The Maestro of Cologne' MusicalCriticism.com, Interview: Semyon Bychkov on returning to Covent Garden for Lohengrin, 25 April 2009 Los Angeles Philharmonic page on Semyon Bychkov Interview with Semyon Bychkov, November 28, 1988 Academics of the Royal Academy of Music American male conductors (music) Soviet conductors (music) Jewish classical musicians Mannes School of Music alumni Soviet emigrants to the United States Saint Petersburg Conservatory alumni Musicians from Saint Petersburg Soviet Jews 1952 births Living people Soviet defectors 20th-century American conductors (music) 21st-century American conductors (music) Mannes College The New School for Music faculty 20th-century American male musicians 21st-century American male musicians