Tugan Sokhiev became Music Director of Orchestre National du Capitole de Toulouse in 2008, following three years as its Principal Guest Conductor and Artistic Advisor. The relationship between Sokhiev and his musicians in Toulouse is increasingly celebrated - Figaro recently described the partnership as “at the centre of the French musical life”. He also enjoys a close association with the Mariinsky Theatre and is in demand from leading opera houses and orchestras worldwide.

At the start of the 2009/10, Sokhiev made his critically acclaimed début with the Vienna Philharmonic. Other recent highlights include highly successful débuts with both the Berlin Philharmonic - where the critics hailed him ‘Dirigentenwunderwaffe’ (miracle conductor) - and Rotterdam Philharmonic. Plans for the 2010/11 season and beyond include Pique Dame for Wiener Staatsoper, returns to his regular orchestras including Finnish Radio, DSO Berlin, and a concerts and European touring with Philharmonia Orchestra (to which he returns each season) and Mahler Chamber Orchestra. His Mariinsky Theatre commitments include many new productions; plans for Toulouse include further recordings, extensive touring and opera productions at the Théâtre du Capitole.

Highlights of recent seasons have included immensely successful débuts with Santa Cecilia, Fondazione Arturo Toscanini, National Philharmonic of Russia and NHK Symphony, televised live from Tokyo’s Suntory Hall.  He has also worked with Orquesta Nacional de España, RAI Turin, La Scala’s concert series, Bournemouth Symphony and Orchestra of the Bayerische Staatsoper in Munich. He has appeared as guest conductor in Strasbourg, Montpellier, Frankfurt, Swedish Radio, Vienna Radio and Frankfurt Radio Symphony, Sydney Symphony, Oslo Philharmonic, Royal Concertgebouw, Munich Philharmonic Orchestras, Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France, Orchestre National de France. His performance in the Théâtre des Champs-Elysées with Orchestre National du Capitole resulted in his being named ‘Révélation musicale de l'année’ by the French Critics’ Union in 2005.

During his collaboration with Toulouse, he has conducted many critically-acclaimed concerts in France, Germany, Vienna, Croatia, Spain, China and Japan. His first two recordings for Naïve Classique – which include Tchaikovsky Fourth Symphony, Mussorgsky Pictures at an Exhibition and Prokofiev Peter and the Wolf – received remarkable reviews.

Sokhiev made his UK opera début with La bohème for Welsh National Opera in 2002 and the following year made his début at the Metropolitan Opera Company, New York, conducting the Mariinsky Opera’s Eugene Onegin.  He also made a highly acclaimed first visit to the 2004 Aix-en-Provence Festival (Love of Three Oranges), followed by most successful revivals in Luxembourg and for the Teatro Real, Madrid. 2005/2006 included productions of The Golden Cockerel, Iolanta, Samson and Delilah and Eugene Onegin for the Mariinsky Theatre and his much-praised Boris Godunov for Houston Grand Opera. In recent seasons he has conducted Pique Dame and Iolanta at the Théatre du Capitole and The Fiery Angel and The Magic Flute at the Mariinsky Theatre.