Nikolai Malko

Nikolai Andreyevich Malko (Ukrainian Микола Малько, Russian Николай Андреевич Малько; born May 4, 1883 in Brailow, province Chernihiv, Russian Empire, † June 23, 1961 in Sydney, Australia) was a Ukrainian conductor.

Life

In his youth Malko music reviews published in the Russian press and performed as a pianist and later as a conductor. In 1906 he completed his history and language studies at the St. Petersburg University and in 1909 his studies at the St. Petersburg Conservatory. His teachers included Nikolai Rimsky -Korsakov, Alexander Glazunov and Anatoly Ljadow. In 1909 he became conductor at the Mariinsky Theatre and principal conductor of even six years later. From 1909 he studied conducting with Felix Mottl in Munich. In 1918 he became director of the Conservatory in Vitebsk and in 1921 he taught at the Moscow Conservatory. He was conductor of the St. Petersburg Philharmonic Orchestra in 1926 and launched in the same year, the premieres of Shostakovich's First Symphony and the Second Symphony 1927. Moreover, he conducted the world premiere of Nikolai Mjaskowskis fifth symphony, the Ninth Symphony was dedicated by the composer Malko.

In 1928 he broke away during a concert tour in the West. He lived in Vienna, Prague, and from 1930 to 1956 in Copenhagen, where he was engaged for many years with the Royal Danish Orchestra and Danish National Symphony Orchestra.

He moved in 1940 to the U.S., where he was also conducting lessons. His conducting techniques were documented and published in The Conductor and his Baton (1950). A Dirigierhandbuch, available currently in the U.S. ( Elizabeth AH Green: The Modern Conductor, 1996) is based explicitly on the principles of Malkos book. He took on many of the works in Copenhagen and EMI with the Philharmonia Orchestra, mostly Russian repertoire. In 1951 he conducted the premiere of Vagn Holmboe's seventh Symphony with the Danish Radio Symphony Orchestra.

In 1956 he moved to Australia and became chief conductor of the Sydney Symphony Orchestra. He held this position until his death.